Going Wizard Again
by Mouse-size-Dragon
Summary: At the end of their seventh year Draco Malfoy vanished, willingly. Now the war is over and almost everyone is looking for the missing wizard. With everyone searching for him how long can he remain hidden? Warning: Implied slash, fem, & het themes, curses.
1. Speech and Spell Goodbye

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** After book five AU. Lucius Malfoy bought his way out of Azkaban really quickly, Draco Malfoy was pretty quiet with only minor altercations with the trio over their last two years of school. Sixth year passed with a minor 'stop Voldemort from invading the castle' adventure where nobody died.

Chapter 1: Speech and Spell Goodbye

Seventh year had been very peaceful and for once all Harry Potter, and friends, had had to worry about was NEWTs. The graduation ceremony flew by normally with no Death Eaters or end of the year heroics. Only Draco Malfoy's speech caused a disturbance.

Since spending the last two years abnormally quiet, and spending so much time in the library that he was more of a common fixture there than even Hermione. Malfoy had actually tied with her for top grades in the graduating class. Both he and Hermione were asked to give a sort of goodbye speech to their fellow graduates at the end of the ceremony. Hermione's was relatively routine with an emphasis on the importance of knowledge and working together in these dark times.

And then Malfoy stood at the podium as everyone prepared for a horribly insulting rant. Even Professor Snape look uncomfortable and at that moment almost bored. But then he opened his mouth and shocked every single person in the room.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, for giving me a chance and allowing me to stand here and speak today. It is awing that I have been awarded the honor of being considered academically equal to one who has repeatedly been called the most brilliant witch of our time. With this unique opportunity I hope that regardless of how much each of you may dislike me that you will at least recall these words with unbiased judgment."

He paused as the whispers started to drown out his voice. The clear sentiment of shock filled the hall. Had Draco Malfoy actually thanked Professor Dumbledore? Had he really just complimented Hermione Granger? Was this actually the right person up there giving the speech? After a moment the hall quieted down and everyone started listening in earnest so as to catch any other once in a lifetime occurrences.

"In this time of war each of us is expected to play a role based on who we are. I am telling you, especially my fellow Slytherins, not to be who you are expected. As of today I am going to go out into the world and be who I want to be, not who my father wants me to be, not what most of you expect me to be. I urge you all to ignore what others want of you, and do what you want."

Muttering picked up to a fever pitch at this. Everyone in the room knew what Malfoy was saying. He was all but outright telling them that he wasn't going to be a Death Eater. Furthermore he was encouraging the Slytherins to turn their backs on their families and do what they wanted. After clearing his throat a few times the crowd of students eventually turned their attention back to Malfoy.

"Each of you has talents unique to yourself. Use them to fulfill your dreams. Longbottom, for example, is an herbology genius. He should ignore what others want him to do and use his talents to fulfill his own dreams. Those who abandon you are not true friends."

At this stunning compliment Neville looked almost ready to faint. Ron almost looked sick, like he was waiting for the punch line of the joke. The rest of the hall was too stunned even to start whispering. With a small smirk at shocking everyone into speechlessness Malfoy continued.

"There is a war happening beyond these walls. Choose your side carefully. All evidence points to the fact that Harry Potter will never die, …except possibly by old age. Good luck." With those parting words Draco Malfoy stepped down off the raised platform and sat back with his friends in Slytherin.

As Dumbledore dismissed everyone to mingle and enjoy refreshments in the Great Hall not many noticed as Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy slipped away towards the Slytherin dorms.

* * *

"Draco, what the hell was that? Do you realize how badly your father will want to kill you now! When you asked me to help you escape I didn't realize that he'd be out for your blood-"

"Blaise, everything is set so that nobody will be able to blame anyone but me for anything. Just let me get my bag. We both need to grab this portkey, but don't worry. Once you cast the spell it'll take you back here. I promise I've got it planned. Besides Pansy promised to vouch for you."

As he made this statement Draco dragged a decent sized duffle bag out from under his bed. Holding on to the bag he and Blaise both grabbed the small dragon figurine Draco indicated and with a tug behind their navels were whisked away.

Staggering as they landed Blaise glanced disdainfully around at the dirty public bathroom they'd landed in. Draco quickly stripped off his robes, revealing common Muggle jeans and a sweatshirt underneath, and folded them unzipping the zipper on the duffle marked with a 'W' he placed them inside. Pulling out a long thin box with a lock he handed Blaise his wand.

"Did you memorize it like I asked?"

"Yes, but Draco I don't get why I'm doing this. What will this spell do to you?"

"I'll tell you after you've cast it, don't worry it's not illegal. But you must NEVER tell ANYONE that you cast it. And you have to promise me you'll never cast it on anyone… except possibly my father… or the Dark Lord... or my aunt Bellatrix."

Blaise looked even more nervous at this warning but smoothed out his face into an expressionless mask, nodded his agreement, and started to chant waving his wand in intricate patterns over Draco and Draco's wand. Finishing the chant a mere two minutes later a dark navy blue light crept from Blaise's wand and engulfed the other boy and his wand before sinking beneath the surface of Draco's skin to disappear.

Draco silently opened the box and after Blaise placed Draco's wand inside snapped it shut locking it before replacing it in the duffle bag. He zipped up the 'W' zipper and reached for the zipper marked with an 'M.' Slipping out a pair of dark sunglasses he closed the duffle for the last time before slinging it over his shoulder. Pulling up the hood of his sweatshirt he handed Blaise a letter.

"Post that to the Daily Prophet as soon as you get back, please. We're at a Muggle airport and I have a plane to America to catch." He stated before stepping towards the door. "You can just tell everyone that you saw me portkey out of the dorm after mentioning a plane to America, nobody'll suspect you after that letter is sent. Just use a school owl."

"Wait! What did that spell do, Draco?"

Turning to look back at his friend he smirked and told him before slipping out the door. Leaving Blaise to stand stunned before he hurriedly portkeyd back to Hogwarts.

The last sentence any wizard heard Draco Malfoy say was, "Why Blaise, you've turned me into a Muggle."


	2. Letter to My World

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

Chapter 2: Letter to My World

During the feast that night almost everyone was too excited discussing the events of the graduation ceremony to notice Snape repeatedly glancing over to where his Slytherins were missing their 'Prince.' The Golden Trio, as they were still commonly known, also noticed the empty space where their rival usually sat. While Ron went off on how Malfoy was probably too embarrassed to be seen after his speech complimenting Gryffindors and supporting Harry. Hermione looked thoughtful as she kept reviewing the speech in her head. Harry just looked confused.

Stopped by Snape on their way back to their dorms that night Blaise, with Pansy adding any details he 'forgot,' told the professor Draco's approved version of the story. That night was the first time Severus Snape had ever seen Albus Dumbledore look surprised. Deciding to keep Draco Malfoy's disappearance quiet until they could find any further evidence of where he had gone, or why, the professors went to bed.

* * *

The next morning all the students arrived in the hall for breakfast relatively early to wait for Draco Malfoy to enter the Hall, the seventh years having told all the younger years about Malfoy's speech by now. Everyone wanted to see this newly reformed Malfoy who went around complimenting Gryffindors and endorsing Harry Potter. Unfortunately he never arrived. The owl post did.

Because they were waiting for it Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini were the first to notice the headline. Pansy went into hysterics immediately while Blaise steadily turned a sickly shade of green the further he read. Pansy's reaction drew almost the whole Hall's attention to the copies of The Daily Prophet that had just been delivered. Their reactions to the article cemented their seeming innocence to Draco's plan, indeed they hadn't known the whole of his plan and thus were saved from further interrogation. The paper read:

MALFOY GOES MUGGLE

By Betsie Truneus

Last night one Draco Malfoy sent a shocking letter to the offices of the Daily Prophet. His request that we print the letter, which was written on paper spelled for truth, has been granted. He wrote as follows:

To My World,

This letter is the truth, I have written it on paper that won't record lies. I wish to tell you what has happened to me so that no one can exploit my disappearance with false rumors. Yes, I Draco Malfoy, ex-Pureblood extraordinaire, am leaving the Wizarding World. Don't bother looking for me since by now I'll be in America.

First I would like to state that Purebloods are mostly idiots. If you're so worried about Wizarding traditions dying out instead of killing of all the Muggleborns and Halfbloods teach them our traditions. If they aren't accepted into your society you will all die off due to inbreeding.

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are both clear examples of how new blood produced children stronger, smarter, and more powerful than most Purebloods their age. You-Know-Who was the son of a weak witch and a Muggle. He was defeated by Harry Potter's mother's love, who was a Muggleborn. Clearly being of Muggle descent does not hinder a witch or wizard in any way.

Father, and others who believe the Dark Lord was a good idea, he is not. Since he grew up in a Muggle orphanage You-Know-Who knows next to nothing about Wizarding traditions, he hates Muggles because his lousy father was one and he grew up being bullied by Muggle kids he later learned he was more powerful than. He is only using your reasons to lure Purebloods into his service.

It is here where I renounce my family and my wizardry. I have, in my studies, found a spell that when cast on a wizard or witch will turn them into a MUGGLE. This spell has since been cast upon my person and I am now a Muggle. I can no longer see magical creatures, buildings, or items that other muggles cannot see. Muggle repelling charms will work on me and if I ever have children with magic they will be Muggleborn as their father will be a normal Muggle.

I choose to leave behind the incompetent Ministry that my father has been bribing for years. I leave behind my family to their foolish slavery to an insane half-dead Halfblood. I leave behind the Wizarding people who have grown sheep-like in the way they follow rumors and their certainty in their superiority. Magic does not make you better, it makes you lose the edge of inventiveness and creativity that Muggles use every day to make their lives better. Good Luck with your war, I hope Harry Potter wins.

Sincerely,

Draco Malfoy, Ex-Wizard

We at the Daily Prophet also received a list of Ministry officials that Lucius Malfoy has on his payroll and a list of all Death Eaters known to the young Malfoy. As both lists were written on truth spelled paper they were turned over to Aurors last night. Hopefully we will be reporting the arrests by tomorrow. Here at the Daily Prophet we wish young mister Malfoy good luck with his new life.

Blaise Zabini threw-up after finishing the article.

Pansy Parkinson was taken to the hospital wing after hyperventilating and passing out.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle both burst into tears after someone explained the letter to them.

Severus Snape paled, not that one could tell, and silently prayed for his godson's safety from the vengeful Dark Lord he had just betrayed.

Albus Dumbledore's eyes stopped twinkling for a good half hour while he considered what his former student had done.

Ron Weasley was unable to form an insult for his former enemy as he realized just what Draco Malfoy was giving up.

Harry Potter was put out that he and Malfoy could have been allies, and disturbingly upset once he realized that he would never see the git again.

Hermione Granger racked her mind for what spell Malfoy could have been talking about and upon realizing she didn't know it immediately resolved to find it as soon as she had free time to research.

Lucius Malfoy read the article in his Ministry holding cell, he had been arrested last night and only now knew why, and vowed a slow and painful revenge.

Lord Voldemort crucioed the Death Eater who brought him the article for a solid ten minutes before stopping, after all over three fourths of his Death Eaters had been arrested last night and he couldn't afford to lose another.

Draco Malfoy didn't see the article but had a private count down to when it would be delivered, smirking he imagined the chaos he had undoubtedly caused. He strolled down the streets of New York to buy some hair dye at the nearest grocery store. After all he had just made at least fifty or so enemies who all knew what he looked like.


	3. Marco is Not My Name

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** This happens almost two and a half years after the last chapter.

Chapter 3: Marco is Not My Name

Harry Potter was tired. Sure the war was over, all the Death Eaters were locked up or dead like their master. With the mass sweep Draco Malfoy's letter had prompted there hadn't been more than twenty or so left free. It had only taken them around two years to end the war because they were chasing Voldemort and his remaining followers from one hiding place to another all around Europe.

End result, he couldn't go anywhere in public without being mobbed by adoring fans. When he couldn't even go out with his friends for his 20th birthday it got to be tiring.

This was why at eleven o'clock the night of his birthday he was at a Muggle club with Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, the twins and their dates. Ginny and Lee Jordan were on a date, together, and might arrive later.

Hermione had found the club; it was only around a year and a half old and apparently all the rage among the Muggles their age. It was called the Dragon's Den, the alcoves and mostly red lighting gave the impression that the club was inside a fiery cave. The place was packed but happily none of the other patrons spared him a second glance. Well some of them did, but that was based purely on his looks, not his name.

"This place is perfect 'Mione," he exclaimed as he slid into the both next to Luna.

"We'll go get some drinks for everyone."

"What would you like –"

"Harry?" asked the twins as they stood.

"Whatever sounds good, I don't really care, just not something with too much alcohol in it. I have to apparate back tonight," he tossed out over the music at them.

"Harry, mate, shouldn't you keep your voice down about that around Muggles?" muttered Ron as he glanced around.

"I don't think anybody could hear him over this music," Neville answered back.

* * *

"What'll it be?" hollered the bartender at the twins.

"We need eight of whatever's most popular –"

"and one 'something that sounds good' –"

"but doesn't have –"

"too much alcohol," they replied taking turns continuing the sentence.

Whirling around the bartender stared at them for about thirty seconds, his face visibly whitened beneath his light tan, before silently shaking himself and apologizing before starting on their drinks. When he handed them over he pointed to the odd drink out and told them it was a mix of mostly sodas and juices with only a little alcohol content.

* * *

"That bartender was weird. He understood our twin-speak, but looked pretty freaked out when he saw us."

"Yeah, almost like he recognized us or was scared by us," claimed the twins as they passed around the drinks.

"It's possible he was attacked by Fisngets just before talking to you, understandably that would frighten him," Luna murmured in her most dreamy voice.

"Or he was just a little disconcerted by you, twins aren't all that common in the Muggle world. At least less so than in Our world," explained Hermione.

"Whatever, lets dance!" they both exclaimed at the same time. After gulping down the rest of their drinks they dragged Angelina and Alicia onto the dance floor. A few minutes of conversation later and Ron asked his fiancé to dance, leaving Harry with just Neville and Luna. Harry sighed as he noticed Neville nervously glancing between Luna and the dance floor.

"Why don't you and Neville go dance too, Luna," he urged.

"If Neville is alright with that I would love to." She stood glancing expectantly at the third occupant of their table. Neville gave Harry a grateful look and let his girlfriend lead him away.

Sitting with his drink for a few minutes Harry snapped his head up in a startled gesture when Ginny and Lee plopped down across from him and after two quick hellos started sucking face. Actually it was more like Lee sat down with Ginny in his lap, their making out included a lot of heavy groping. A little disgusted Harry excused himself to sit at the bar watching the rest of his friends dance.

As Harry sat on a stool another man grabbed the empty seat next to him and turned to the bartender.

"Hey, Marco can I get one of your namesake?" he asked, rather blatantly flirting.

"Look Derek, I tell you every night my name is NOT Marco. It's Mark, M-a-r-k; there is no 'c' and no 'o' in my name. I won't serve you if you keep calling me that disgusting attempt at a pet name," sneered the man behind the bar.

Harry spun around as he heard him talk, that sneering drawl sounded so familiar, yet he didn't recognize the man behind the bar. Blue eyes, light brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck, faint tan, and probably a few centimeters shorter than Harry the man was handsome but defiantly not who Harry thought he was. Didn't matter if his voice sounded like Draco Malfoy for a moment there, they had tracked Malfoy to New York before losing him. He wasn't here in London.

Malfoy was across the ocean unaware that he'd been awarded an Order of Merlin for his part in arresting most of the Death Eaters or that he'd inherited his family accounts, estates, and businesses. He was unaware that the Ministry still had Aurors and the American Wizard government on the look out for him. He didn't know that Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, who were engaged to be married as soon as he was found, had spent months trying to track him and hundreds of Galleons on a special Wizarding detective who was apparently stumped for the first time in his entire career.

Damn, he really needed a new hobby, Malfoy hunting had apparently been his interest for a little too long if he couldn't stop obsessing for one night. He quickly tuned back in on the argument between Derek and Mark, which had escalated when he wasn't paying attention.

"-should be more polite to me. I'll complain to your boss. I could get you fired!" The Derek guy was now leaning over the counter with his fist in the bartender's shirt. Mark, the bartender, just smirked before leaning in.

"I live with my boss," he stated challengingly just before a large bouncer laid a heavy hand on Derek's shoulder.

"Gonna have to ask you to let go of Mark here an' leave with me now." Glaring at the misbehaving clubber the bouncer dragged him away with a quick smile at the bartender.

"Sorry 'bout him," Mark turned to Harry while apologizing. When he faced Harry completely he blanched almost imperceptibly before offering to get him a drink.

"So, sleeping with your boss," joked Harry after he received the same mixed drink as before.

Chuckling Mark leaned in and told Harry in a low voice, "No, I am my boss. I own the place but I like working here too. Nobody but the employees really know who I am, it's not something you tend to tell most of your customers."

"I guess that living with the boss line gets rid of a lot of trouble then."

"Yeah, I also love it when someone flirts with me and I can say 'I'm sorry but I already share a bed with my boss and he doesn't let me take home customers,' it's even more hilarious for that line if the customer flirting with me is a girl."

Harry spent most of the rest of the night chatting with Mark, occasionally getting up to dance with his friends. Later, when they were leaving, he turned to Hermione and said, "we have to go out to Muggle places more often; I love it when nobody knows who I am."


	4. Tattoo By Coffee

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Also some of my phrases might be odd, this is 'cause while my dad grew up in America my mother grew up in England and I've learned a mixture of phrases from the both of them so sorry if it gets confusing sometimes, I confuse me too.

Chapter 4: Tattoo By Coffee

Dragon's Den closed around four am and by five it was cleared up and all the employees had left. Mark stood staring at the seat where earlier Harry Potter had sat the only thought running through his head was 'bloody hell, they were in my club, I hope to Merlin none of them recognized me.' After standing there like a statue for over ten minutes Mark Willasin turned and strode out, locking the door behind himself.

Just a few blocks away he entered an apartment building, rode the lift to the third floor and let himself into his flat. Slamming the door he walked into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. Walking down the hall he stepped into the nearest bedroom, pushed the occupant off the bed and yelled "HONEY, I'M HOME" right in her ear before darting out the door and back into the kitchen cackling madly all the way.

"GODDAMNIT, you little DEMON SPAWN! It's fucking FIVE AM," grouched the young woman in boxers and a tee shirt who stumbled into the kitchen. Then after glancing at the clock she turned and stared.

"You are over fifteen minutes late mister. What happened last night at your Den," she asked.

"A group from my Hogwarts days came to the club."

"Shit, old friends or enemies?"

"I had far more enemies, you know that Tric."

"So not friends then, want me to take a few days of working the bar for you?"

"What about the Parlor?"

"Well, you've got the training and I know you've done it before so it's legit for you to take my place. If you want we can trade for a few weeks just to make sure they either don't come back or they didn't recognize you."

"You know I hate giving people tattoos. But you're right, oh mighty and wonderful Tric, you have a brilliant plan. Would you like some coffee as a reward?" Mark asked as he turned to the pot on the counter.

"Oh, don't snark at me Draco. I'm saving your arse here. Yes coffee would be wonderful. Thanks," she tossed back as she pulled a cup out of the cupboard and handed it to him.

"Can you start tonight if I take half your shift today? I probably should get some rest, not that it wouldn't be hilarious to fall asleep while giving someone a tattoo," he responded, smoothly handing her the full mug in exchange for the second cup she'd pulled out of the cupboard.

"Yeah, go get some rest. You can take over my shift after lunch, pick me up at noon and we'll have lunch together. Dress Goth this time, or punk, either is cool but you gotta fit in with the others at the Parlor. You stand out too much the way you normally dress yourself Malfoy," she leered at the man just as he raised his cup of coffee to his lips.

"Merlin, never say that vile name in front of me. EVER!" spat Mark, glaring at his flat mate.

"Go to bed Mr. Grumpy," Tric waved over her shoulder as she headed back to her room to change. "And don't be late!"

"Good day to you too," sighing he walked farther down the hall and slipped into his own bedroom.

* * *

At 11:59 Mark stalked into a Tattoo Parlor that claimed 'tattoos for every kind of person' in the window. While earlier he had been dressed nicely but in no distinct style now his clothes screamed Goth, right down to the accessories, he even had on a small amount of black eyeliner. Marching over to an exceedingly Goth-ed out girl behind the counter, who had short hot pink and black spiky hair, black lipstick, black eyeliner, and dark grey eye shadow to go along with her black and grey outfit and clunky steel toed boots, he glared at her.

"Well Honey, don't you clean up well," she drawled out at him.

"Yes Tric, I do know how to dress myself. I can even follow your demands sometimes," rolling his eyes he tilted his head in a questioning manner. "Shall we head out to lunch now?"

"Sure, let me tell my boss." Mark winced as she hollered out her impending lunch break towards the back rooms and received a yell of consent back.

The two headed to the food court of a nearby mall, chatting about mutual friends and sharing funny customer anecdotes. After ordering and receiving their food they made their way to a secluded table and spread out on either side.

"So tell me which 'not friends' of yours I'm on the lookout for tonight."

"Well _You-Know-Who_ came and chatted to me almost the whole night."

"Lord Voldemort came to your club?" She looked skeptically across the table.

"No you dolt it was _Him_, the _Him_ whose name we actually don't speak." Mark rolled his eyes at her.

"Ah, so this is a Potter problem."

"Yes it's that kind of problem. I'd be dead already if it was a Voldemort problem."

"So I'm looking for a hot guy with green eyes and a scar. Anyone else Honey," she smirked condescendingly.

"I saw four Weasleys, two twins, Ginny and Ron, Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, two girls with the twins, Lee Jordan, you don't know him but he's got dreadlocks and he's with Ginny, and _Him_. There were eleven of them total. I think they were all celebrating _His_ birthday. But they were all paired off and spent most of the night dancing with their partners. The only ones who really saw me, besides _Him_, were the twins." He easily recalled the group that had shocked him just last night.

"So most of the redheads and some assorted friends, got it. Don't worry, if they thought they recognized you and they come back I'll tell 'em we went to school together years ago. That'll put a wrench in their timeline, they'll probably think it was during Hogwarts and thus impossible for you to be Draco."

"Please don't say that name in public. You never know who could be listening," he begged.

Glancing over at him sympathetically she murmured, "Talk it out to me Honey."

"It's just… it's been over two years. I like my life how it is. I've even got to where I like myself, and they just walked right back in. All of them at once. They remind me of the worst of who I was, Tric, you know I hate who I was. How do we know if the war is over, how do I know I'd be safe using that name? How do I know their side isn't hunting me too? How do I know if they still hate me or not, Tric?"

"Maybe I can ask Squirt a few subtle questions about Potter and possibly the war when I visit them next week. Actually why don't you come home with me? You could pretend to have a sibling at Hogwarts too." Perking up Tric proposed her latest idea.

"No. I can be your Muggle friend only. I can't afford to have myself associated with magic in any way. I shouldn't even go with you, that way you can talk to her about this kind of stuff without having to avoid mentioning magic in front of your poor 'normal Muggle' friend." Mark included air quotes around the normal Muggle comment that had Tric giggling as she finished off her food.

"Alright mister 'normal Muggle' ready to go give out some nice Muggle tattoos?" She shot back as they cleared away their trash and set out.

"Of course, have fun in my Den tonight Honey."


	5. I Heard the Voice

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Also some of my phrases might be odd, this is 'cause while my dad grew up in America my mother grew up in England and I've learned a mixture of phrases from the both of them so sorry if it gets confusing sometimes, I confuse me too.

Chapter 5: I Heard the Voice

Harry was Not Happy. It needed to be said. His birthday had been over a week ago and he still couldn't get that voice out of his head. For a moment he would have bet every Galleon in his Gringotts account that Draco Malfoy was behind him sneering at some peasant who dared try to associate with him. That was Draco's voice. During his entire conversation with the bartender his voice never even sounded similar to Malfoy's again. But that one small sneering insult wouldn't leave him alone.

It sat in the back of his mind and screamed at him every time he reviewed the Malfoy case files. Whenever he'd try to think of where in New York Draco could have hidden, or where he would have moved from there that voice snuck into his thoughts and yelled 'He's here, he's here in London. You heard him,' at him. He was going to go insane soon. So he did the only thing he could think of. He owled Blaise and Pansy. This solution did not help convince him he was any saner but at least it was something.

The return owl requested that he floo over in an hour. Clearly they were just as desperate for news of Malfoy's whereabouts as he was. That fact didn't make him feel any better. Still he cleared up his most recent notes, of course the trail had been cold for over two years, and prepared to floo over to the Parkinson Manor.

"Parkinson Manor," Harry called as he tossed the glittering green powder into the fire and was spun away in a flash of green flames. Dusting off his robes he stumbled out into Pansy's floo room, technically it belonged to her brother but she lived here too.

"Well, have the Aurors heard anything new? Did you find something Potter?"

"Pansy, calm down. Potter'll tell us as soon as he's actually in the house. Don't assault the guest before he makes it through the floo."

"But Blaise, this is about Draco!"

"Good point, what have you found Potter?"

"Uh, well it's just something that's been nagging me, so I wanted to get your opinions on it. If you have a pensive that'd be great," looking a bit sheepish Harry stuttered out his half considered plan.

"Yes, yes of course we have one. This way boys," Pansy led them into a study not far from the floo room.

"Alright, this memory is from a Muggle club and, well, you'll see," muttered Harry as he pulled out his memory from the other night. Shortly all three of them were leaning into the pensive.

* * *

_Harry excused himself to sit at the bar watching the rest of his friends dance._

_As Harry sat on a stool another man grabbed the empty seat next to him and turned to the bartender._

"_Hey, Marco can I get one of your namesake?" he asked, rather blatantly flirting._

"_Look Derek, I tell you every night my name is NOT Marco. It's Mark, M-a-r-k; there is no 'c' and no 'o' in my name. I won't serve you if you keep calling me that disgusting attempt at a pet name," sneered the man behind the bar._

_Harry spun around as he heard him talk, that sneering drawl sounded so familiar, yet he didn't recognize the man behind the bar. Blue eyes, light brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck, faint tan, and probably a few centimeters shorter than Harry the man was handsome but defiantly not who Harry thought he was. _

Harry turned to Pansy and Blaise, "I could swear that was Draco Malfoy sneering at that guy." Glancing back he recalled what the twins had said that night. "When the twins ordered drinks earlier they said he understood their twin-speak fine but he looked freaked out or frightened when he saw them." Blaise looked thoughtful at this and Pansy continued to stare intently at the bartender.

_He quickly tuned back in on the argument between Derek and Mark, which had escalated when he wasn't paying attention._

"_-should be more polite to me. I'll complain to your boss. I could get you fired!" The Derek guy was now leaning over the counter with his fist in the bartender's shirt. Mark, the bartender, just smirked before leaning in._

"_I live with my boss," he stated challengingly just before a large bouncer laid a heavy hand on Derek's shoulder._

"_Gonna have to ask you to let go of Mark here an' leave with me now." Glaring at the misbehaving clubber the bouncer dragged him away with a quick smile at the bartender._

"_Sorry 'bout him," Mark turned to Harry while apologizing. When he faced Harry completely he blanched almost imperceptibly before offering to get him a drink._

"_So, sleeping with your boss," joked Harry after he received the same mixed drink as before._

_Chuckling Mark leaned in and told Harry in a low voice, "No, I am my boss. I own the place but I like to work here too. Nobody but the employees really know who I am, it's not something you tend to tell most of your customers."_

"_I guess that living with the boss line gets rid of a lot of trouble then."_

"_Yeah, I also love it when someone flirts with me and I can say 'I'm sorry but I already share a bed with my boss and he doesn't let me take home customers,' it's even more hilarious for that line if the customer flirting with me is a girl."

* * *

_

Everything faded and the three were pushed back out of the memory. Glancing around Harry was glad to see Pansy looking ecstatic and even Blaise looking faintly enthusiastic.

"It sounded just like Draco. And he recognized Potter here! It has to be him. How many muggles would recognize Harry Potter but not mention it? Plus he's gay!" Pansy was almost squealing in her excitement.

Glancing sideways at her Blaise reasoned, "Draco could be this Mark guy, but I think that his reactions to both the redheaded terrors and Potter here are far more telling than his sexuality, Pansy."

"Okay, we should see those twins' memory before we go chasing some bartender to America," conceded Pansy. "What were you doing in a bar in America, Potter?" Turning to Harry she arched an eyebrow at him in query.

"Uhm, actually, I was, well… the bar was, uh, it's a Muggle club, called Dragon's Den, it's uh… here… in London," he stammered out under their questioning gazes.

"DAMN IT, why didn't I think of it. He was my best friend for years! I knew he was too smart to go to America," exclaimed Blaise.

Harry stared at him, growing more confused as Pansy nodded sagely.

"Of course, he would have been easy to find by now if he had stayed."

"What? Why?" Harry had the feeling that now they could tell him exactly what Draco had done and why. He didn't get it but as long as someone agreed with him about the voice and there was a chance they could find the missing ex-wizard soon.

"He would have stood out far too much no matter where he went in America; not many fit the 'handsome young bloke with a British accent who acts a little odd' category across the pond. If he had stayed in America we really would have found him by now," Blaise easily explained the thought process of the three ex-Slytherins.

"One problem is how he changed his looks without the ability to create a glamour or do a transfiguration," Pansy pondered. "I wonder if there's muggle ways to fake that."

"Muggles use hair dye and make-up and I think they can even use contacts to change their eye colors," Harry hesitantly explained his minimal knowledge of Muggle disguises.

"Well when you ask those twins for their memory you can also ask Granger about that. Come back here in say two days with more memories and information then we'll go visit the club," haughtily Pansy gave Harry his orders.

"Draco would name his club Dragon's Den," muttered Blaise as he led Harry back out to the floo room.

* * *

Hermione confirmed that indeed Muggles could make themselves look like practically anything with the right make-up artist and contacts could give you just about any eye color under the sun. With this in mind the three watched the twins' memories, only one of the twins had needed to offer his up because, well, they were the same after all. All three of them agreed to go back to the club later that week, and since Ron didn't think Harry should really take chances going out alone, Pansy, Blaise, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all headed back to the Dragon's Den two weeks and three days after Harry's first visit.


	6. Will Cause Trauma

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 6: Will Cause Trauma

For the last couple weeks Tric had been bored out of her mind. Usually working the Den for Mark was pretty fun; cool new people, loud music, and she got to experiment mixing drinks. But when you're expecting roaming bands of Wizards to come in looking for your best friend normal club life just doesn't cut it. She was ready to start make rude gestures at the crowd just to liven things up.

Then _He_ walked in. Oh, she recognized the Granger chick and the Weasley as _His_ sidekicks from Draco's descriptions of them. _He_ was obvious. But the other two were what clinched it. The only reason Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini would ever be at the Den, especially with those three, was if they were looking for Draco Malfoy. Now she just had to find out whether this was a hostile kidnap attempt or whether Draco was free to stay. Either way they were never getting him back.

Watching them sit at a booth together she made silent bets with herself as to who would be her first victim.

* * *

"He's not here."

"He apparently talked to that Derek guy from your memory repeatedly. He said 'I tell you every night' which implies that he works here all the time. So why isn't he here anymore?" Pansy demanded of Harry.

"I don't know, maybe it's his night off? I'm not an expert on bartenders," he protested.

"Well since you're the only person single here go flirt with her and find out where he is," Blaise pushed Harry out of the booth as he gave this command.

"Uh, right." Harry stumbled through the crowded dance floor and over to the bar.

"Hey there Handsome, what can I get you?"

"Um…" She was rather intimidating even though she was quite a bit shorter than Harry. She had on a black corset with red lacing and detailing that matched her red mini skirt and her black knee-high boots with red laces. Her bright red lipstick and red eye shadow was off set by her thick black eyeliner and her short shaggy black and pink hair, although in the dim red tinted lighting her hair looked to be black and red.

"Okay, not a talker. Whatever. How about the house specialty one Marco Polo?"

"Sure." Harry was handed the fruity drink he had had during his last visit. As he sat there talking with her about normal unimportant stuff he wondered how to bring up the topic of Mark.

"Hey lady, I've been standing here a good five minutes. Get back to your job and get me a drink."

"Fuck off. I'm busy right now." The girl behind the bar tossed over her shoulder at the man asking for a drink.

One of the man's friends laughed, clapping him on the shoulder, he joked, "mate, that slut's got more 'important' things on her mind."

Spinning around the short girl dragged the friend who'd just spoken slightly across the bar and Harry could see her pressing a knife lightly into his stomach.

"Only one man is allowed to call me that and live. You aren't him. So get away from my bar or get ready to get hurt, fucker." Quietly she gave the threat and then pushed the guy away while sliding the knife back into the side of her boot. Harry was suddenly even more afraid of her; what kind of person carries a knife to work, especially when she has bouncers all over the place to stop any trouble from starting.

Glancing around nervously the guy started backing away. Calling back at her, "you'd better watch out, I'm gonna to complain to your boss."

Smirking she turned back to Harry murmuring, "I live with my boss."

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu Harry sipped his drink before addressing her again.

"So, sleeping with your boss," joked Harry.

"My Honey and I are close." Winking she held out her hand. "I'm Tric. Spelled T-r-i-c."

Shaking her hand he introduced himself as Harry, figuring that since he wasn't out to get Draco it didn't matter if he gave his real name or not.

"I met a guy named Mark here last time I came. He said he owned the place."

"Mark's a sweetheart, he took me in off the street when I ran away from home a few years back. He's really only a few years older than me, too."

"So, how long have you known Mark?"

"Oh, we've been close for a little over three years now. We even went to school together." _He_ didn't need to know that it was a short tattoo artist certification class the summer after Draco went Muggle.

"Really. Well he reminded me of someone I went to school with that I've been trying to find for years."

"Why? He in some kind of trouble or something."

"No, the opposite in fact. First he got a medal of… honor… for helping the, er, police arrest most of this, uh, gang, his father was a part of, so the police are looking for him to congratulate him. Then, since his father got ki-uh, died in prison, he inherited a ton of money and property, so the bank is looking for him. And his best friends are looking for him. They've postponed their wedding until he's found. We've got all sorts of, uh, detectives looking for him." Even though she probably had no clue what he was talking about Harry felt a little hopeful that if she told Mark, and Mark really was Draco Malfoy, then maybe he'd get the right message.

Now Tric was posed with a horrible dilemma. Draco, whom she had originally met near the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts, could go back to the Wizarding world and be safe and rich and even happy, without her. However, he had left them in the first place. And it was _HIM_ looking for Draco so it wasn't as if she owed _Him_ anything. Or she could just wait, tell Draco everything later and see what he wanted to do. If need be she could always use Squirt as an in to the Wizarding world. Okay, she'd wait, and start using Squirt as a spy when she visited her family tomorrow.

"That's quite a story. Why's the guy in hiding if he's so well known and liked?"

"Well the leader of, er, his father's gang was quite vengeful and Draco was the one who sent the police the lists of everyone he knew in the gang and most of the government officials they had bribed. He also used to act like he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Nobody really trusted him, so he had people out to get him on all sides. But now the entire gang is either dead or locked up and, because it was mostly thanks to him, he's this missing hero that no one's seen for over two years."

"Well I doubt its Mark. The guy gets queasy with blood and hates violence. He's always harping on me about it. Defiantly the biggest pacifist this side of the pond." Which wasn't really a lie; Draco did hate pain and blood. And he did always tell her to try fighting with words before fists. But that was probably because he was the king of sarcasm.

"Ah, thanks anyways, uh, Tric."

"No problem, Harry, and feel free to come back anyway," she waved him off. Harry wove his way back to the booth shaking his head. Shortly the group left, all heading back to Pansy's to view the conversation in her pensive.

* * *

Tric locked the door of the Den behind herself and walked, with one of the bouncers, to an apartment building a few blocks away. She waved goodbye to her coworker, entered the building, rode the lift to the third floor and let herself into her flat. Slamming the door she walked into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. Walking down the hall she stepped into the farthest bedroom, pushed the occupant off the bed and yelled "HONEY, I'M HOME" right in his ear before darting out the door and back into the kitchen cackling madly all the way.

"GODDAMNIT, you EVIL SLUT! It's fucking FIVE AM," grouched the young man in boxers who stumbled into the kitchen.

"You are never gonna believe what happened last night at your Den," she crowed.

"A group from my Hogwarts days came to the club."

"Shit, I hate it when you do that."

"That was the reason you were working there Tric."

"So? Different people came with _Him_ this time. Want to know who?"

"More Gryffindorks in my club? Spare me."

"Well, for your information they were Syltherindorks."

"Fuck, who?" Mark asked as he pulled a cup out of the cupboard and handed it to her.

"Oh, just two old friends of yours. Thanks," she tossed back as she turned to the pot on the counter and started pouring the first cup.

"It was Blaise and Pansy then. How did they look, were they okay?" he questioned, smoothly handing her the empty cup he'd just pulled out of the cupboard in exchange for the full mug she'd already poured.

"Yeah, they looked fine. But a certain _You-Know-Who_ spent the night asking about you Malfoy," she leered at the man just as he raised his cup of coffee to his lips.

"Merlin, what have I told you about saying that vile name in front of me!" spat Mark, glaring at his flat mate.

"Whatever, Mr. Grumpy. He talked to me about how you reminded him of a guy he went to school with and was searching for," Tric waved over her shoulder as she headed back to her room to sleep. "I'll pick you up at noon and tell you the rest of the story."

"Bloody hell," sighing he walked farther down the hall and slipped into his own bedroom to change for work.


	7. Longer Than You Knew

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 7: Longer Than You Knew

"I am honestly terrified of that girl." Ron nodded his agreement with Harry's sentiment while Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to the two ex-Slytherins.

"It is highly suspicious, some of her statements contradicted our prior knowledge of this Mark," contemplated Blaise.

"Exactly," agreed Hermione. "We saw Mark provoke that man Derek in Harry's memory. Also in Harry's memory the man clearly implied that he was the usual bartender, the club owner, and gay. This Tric girl seems to be trying to do just that, trick us."

"She saw us right away, knew right when we walked in the club. I think she even recognized us, you could see her eyes narrow for a few seconds there when she saw Blaise and me with you," Pansy expanded.

"So, the real question is does she know who and what we are, or was she just told to watch out for people of our descriptions?" At this remark the other four all turned to stare a Ron.

"Hey, I'm not that stupid!" He protested when he saw their looks.

"No that's actually a really good point," remarked Hermione. "We need to know if she's someone we have to avoid or, if she lives with Mark like she said, does she know who he is? Is she helping Mark or Draco?"

"Well does that mean I shouldn't have told her all that stuff about Draco?"

"No, either way he'll be told and if he isn't Draco there's no harm done. If he is there's a chance your story might convince him to trust us and come out of hiding," Hermione assured Harry as she gathered together their notes on the case.

"Now our problem is how do we tail her and who does it?" Ron, the strategist, plotted. "If she does live with Draco Malfoy, and she knows who he is, it is highly possible that she is either a witch or a squib."

"How do you figure that Weasley?"

"Well Blaise, how likely is it that a Pureblood like Draco Malfoy was able to just blend in as a Muggle so well that the girl who's been living with him for two years never noticed anything?"

"Wait! Ron she said she'd known him for OVER two years," exclaimed Hermione frantically.

"Yeah so? He's been missing for almost that long."

"Don't you see, he knew her _before_ he disappeared."

"So…he's not Draco Malfoy?"

"NO. He is, probably. Draco Malfoy was planning on becoming a Muggle for longer than just our seventh year. Based on her time line he must have met her before we even started our seventh year."

"Bloody hell," breathed Ron in shock.

"That must have been who he wrote to all year. Remember Blaise? We couldn't read any of the letters no matter how hard we tried."

"Yeah, the mystery pen pal he got over the summer."

"What did he tell you he did that summer? Clearly he made friends with a muggle girl here in London," pried Hermione.

"He told everyone he went to France. His parents visited him over there a few times. So did Pansy when she stayed at her family's villa near where he was staying. Everyone thought he was getting to know his French fiancé Evonne. She was this nice girl from an old Pureblood family. I'm surprised her family didn't make a fuss when he disappeared, it was a good match."

"Yeah. He was there, I saw him with her, I spoke to him, and I would have known if it wasn't Draco. We grew up together."

"So maybe we need to search even further back to find the cause of this," Harry paused then continued. "Everyone thought this was just a turn around in his seventh year. We've got proof that he was planning this and befriending Muggles as early as the beginning of the summer. Now we have to ask when his plan started. Would he have befriended a Muggle that summer if he hadn't already planned to switch sides? No. He had to have been planning this before sixth year ended. We need to discover when his plans really began, how early he started."

There was silence for a long time as all five occupants of the room contemplated these new revelations about Draco Malfoy. Old friends thought back to when they first noticed the slight changes in him. Old enemies remembered their fights and pondered how long they had been an act, wondering how much of it was real.

"Fourth year."

All eyes locked onto Blaise at his revelation. He nodded, more to himself than to anyone else and continued.

"I remember noticing little things all that year. There were some mornings where he would almost forget to wear that Potter Stinks badge and then he'd rush back to the dorms or borrow mine. That was one thing that bugged me; he was so bad about remembering the badge that he had created in the first place." He paused to think before continuing on.

"I remember that year he stopped making fun of his Muggle Studies assignments as much. Before when he would have laughed at the Muggle stuff in the lessons he would actually do the assignments and maybe, if he remembered to, later he would insult something about it. It was almost like a struggle with him, all his insults were either thought out or forgotten until the last minute. Like he had to remind himself he was still Draco Malfoy. That was the year he got closer to Pansy and me as real friends." Here he gaped for a moment.

"He made friends to cover his tracks. He must have known even then that he would need me to -" here he cut himself off and shook his head.

"Never mind, more importantly at the end of the year, when you came back from that graveyard, Potter. He turned in the stands, looked at the four of us, Pansy, me, Greg and Vincent, and he said, 'Our fathers were there tonight. Our side in this war has been chosen for us. We must stay together and survive.' He knew. All the way back then he knew."

* * *

"Hey, Mark, ready for lunch?" The girl walking into the tattoo parlor was only recognizable as Tric due to her hair colors, which wasn't styled and lay flat. She wore a hot pink long sleeved shirt under a white tee shirt with a pink and white striped skirt that reached just past her knees and plain white sneakers. Her exotic make-up had vanished completely to be replaced by clear lip-gloss.

"Yeah, you can tell the boss for me though." Tric smirked at Draco before turning and yelling that she was taking Mark on his lunch break to the back of the store. They started out even before the answering yell was heard.

"Tell me what happened last night before you kill me with suspense," Draco demanded as soon as they were seated at their usual table.

She proceeded to relate her conversation with Harry almost word for word. Ending with, "It was pretty hilarious to see _Him_ struggling to try and talk about the war in Muggle terms. And you would have loved to have seen _His_ face when I pulled the knife on that guy."

"Honey, please stop traumatizing my customers, I need them," he sighed out at her. The only response he got was a grin, which he repaid with rolled eyes.

"Well, I'm off to see the family."

"Take my car, here's the keys." Draco rummaged for them in his pocket before tossing them across the table at her.

"Thanks. I'll try to get back early, I can say I have work, but you might have to open the Den yourself tonight."

Getting up he slung an arm over her shoulders and gave her a one armed hug.

"You know, even if I'd be accepted back, even if I became a Wizard again, I'd never just leave you," he reassured her in a tone more serious than they had been before.

"Sometimes, with Squirt and them, its hard to remember."


	8. Spying For Kids

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 8: Spying For Kids

A short while later Tric pulled into a nicely trimmed driveway leading up to a cozy, modest house situated in Greenwich Village. Grabbing her purse and Draco's keys she took a bracing breath and rang the doorbell. The door opened to reveal a short teenaged girl wearing jeans and a bright green tee shirt who looked to be about 13, 14 at the oldest.

"Hey Squirt, Happy Birthday!"

"Come in Tric, how long can you stay tonight?"

"Ah, well. I've got work but if you don't tell them I'll take you with to meet Mark."

"Really?"

"Yes, and he's a push over so if you ask he'll let you have a movie marathon at our flat. If you ask nice enough you could even get a sleep over with pizza and cake."

"Awesome."

"Rose, is that Patricia at the door?"

"Yes, Mum."

"Well let her in."

The sisters walked through the house into the dining room where the table was set for four. Sitting at the head of the table was their father; Rose had some of his features but the family resemblance wasn't passed to Tric, possibly the only thing she had from him was dark hair. A woman who looked like an older and more sedate version of Tric but with sandy blonde hair carried the last dish in from the kitchen and motioned for the girls to sit down.

After a long dinner filled with meaningless small talk and occasional thinly veiled jabs at Tric's 'lifestyle choices' the family retired to the sitting room where a pile of gifts awaited Rose. They were eventually revealed to be mostly clothes, jewelry, and books. Of the piles of books there were a few fictional Muggle novels but the majority of the books were Wizarding books on every topic imaginable. There were a few self-inking quills and extra packets of parchment mixed in, just in case. The Hill parents provided well for their lovely, Ravenclaw, daughter who was entering her fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this September.

Their older daughter never got much for her birthday any more. Not only did she wear atrocious black stuff that didn't deserve to be called clothes or make-up but she had also run away from home when she was just fifteen. And she claimed they neglected her in favor of her sister! Well if she had been good at anything they might have paid her more attention. They of course didn't know that she had both worked in the evenings and gone to high school during the day and still managed to graduate a year early with top scores. She and Mark currently had a savings account set aside to pay for her to go to University next year.

"Well, I have a gift for Rose back at my flat. I've also got plans for a nice movie marathon. She can choose the movies. So I was hoping that she could pack a bag with a change of clothes and I could bring her back tomorrow afternoon."

"I don't know. It's getting late and Angel isn't the safest area for a young lady" blustered their father.

"Yes, how can we be sure our Rose will be safe? You're not the most responsible person Patricia," their mother berated.

"We'll be safe in the car and you just have to take the lift up to my flat. She'll be staying inside with the doors locked all night, nothing will happen. I can have her call you as soon as she gets in the door."

"Please let me go. I don't get to see Tric that often and I see her even less during the school year. I promise to be careful and call right away," Rose begged with better results.

"Oh, alright, dear. Make sure to call us as soon as you get there. And if you want to leave you can call your father to pick you up at any time."

"Thanks." Rose rushed to pack a bag and soon the sisters were darting out the door, waving a hurried goodbye.

"So, talk to me about your world, Squirt. I want all the news. What have I missed?"

"Well, the war was officially declared over a couple months ago. Harry Potter killed You-Know-Who for the last time and the Aurors captured the rest of the Death Eaters. Draco Malfoy is still missing, but Harry's decided to focus all his efforts on finding him, now that You-Know-Who is dead, so it won't be long before they find him…" Rose continued with her monologue while Tric focused mostly on the road and only half listened to the rest.

* * *

With Ron's planning they had eventually decided that they should go back to the club without Blaise and Pansy first, to see if they received a different reaction. This led to a good old-fashioned Golden Trio adventure. It was further decided that Hermione would follow Tric back to wherever she lived under the invisibility cloak once the club closed, neither of the boys wanted to risk seeing something they shouldn't in her home.

Which was how they ended up arriving right as the club opened that night and sat in a booth, shocked beyond all belief, staring at the man behind the bar. They hadn't expected Draco Malfoy, known as an extreme coward, to come back to work until he could be sure that they weren't coming back. Their staring was blatantly obvious as there were only a handful of other patrons so far.

Ron was far too uncomfortable to stay still, all this staring and waiting. So he got up and walked towards the bathrooms, just as he passed the bar the employee exit opened to admit Tric and a young girl.

"Tric, Honey, we don't have room for another stray in our flat."

"Relax, this is Squirt. Today's her birthday so I brought her home. I'm taking her back tomorrow afternoon."

"Do your parents know?"

"Yes, just let her call them when you guys get home. And don't tell them we live together."

"Hey Rose, I'm Mark. Most of what your sister's told you about me is probably lies."

"Oh, so you're not the perfect gentleman, boyfriend, roommate, and lover? Was the part where you're paying for most of her University a lie too?" Squirt smirked up at Draco and watched as a faint blush crossed his cheeks.

"Okay so she hasn't lied all that much."

"Well in that case she also told me you're a push over whose going to host me an all night movie marathon with pizza and cake tonight."

Glaring at Tric Draco nodded his head and stated, "I've been known to host such events on occasion. If we leave now we can stop by the movie rental before it closes."

"Alright!" Turning to leave Squirt glanced around at the club. "Is that Harry Potter?" She darted over to Harry and Hermione's booth asking for an autograph. Ron noticed that Mark wasn't surprised that she wanted Harry's signature, most of the other people in the club were looking around to see who was so famous. As the girl ran back to him Mark pasted a look of puzzlement on his face.

"Why on earth did you want that guy's autograph?"

"Oh, uh, he went to my school. And he's a hero there, saved the school from some stuff," she awkwardly explained. It was clear to Ron that she was a young witch who thought she was talking to a Muggle.

"Well, whatever, bye Honey," Mark winked at Tric as he motioned for Squirt to follow him out.

After heading back to the booth where he'd left his friends Ron relayed what he had seen and heard. They decided to leave, share the memories with Pansy and Blaise, and come back another day.


	9. Marrying With Love

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 9: Marrying With Love

"It just doesn't make sense."

"Pansy, we've established that."

"But Draco's gay!"

"Well maybe he was really bi."

"But he was in love with –" Blaise's hand cut her off.

"We've already established that the Draco we were friends with was gay. We've also established that Tric seems to be living with Mark. We've also established that Mark implied he was gay or at least bi. We've also established that Tric has tried to feed us false information before. Therefore you need to calm down Pansy."

"Blaise is right. If we look at this logically we'll be able to pick out the grains of truth that are currently smothered in a mass of lies," claimed Hermione.

"Obviously she's Draco's close friend who shares his flat. He helped her out when she ran away from home, and is currently funding the majority of her University education. This leads us to the conclusion that he sees her as a sort of younger sister and she was teasing him about either an ex or his lack of exes." Ron rattled off to his stunned audience. "Really, just think about how you tease your mates and then how you would tease your date and compare them. Obviously they're just good friends right now." Rolling his eyes huffily Ron slumped back in his seat.

"So, if she's not telling us the truth, shouldn't we try to find out how close they really are? She seems to know more than she's telling us. Maybe she might tell more to someone else, someone who she didn't recognize," Harry offered the others.

"Yes, and I'm still curious as to how she's known him for over three years. It's hard to fit in meeting British Muggles when you're in France. And we know Draco was there." Although still mostly stuck on the small details Pansy did make an excellent point every once in a while.

After much debate it was decided that Lee Jordan, (possibly) Neville, and the twins' girl friends would make the best visible plants in the club itself due to them being more unknown to Draco and thus less likely to be recognized. Everyone agreed that none of the Weasleys could go due to their highly identifiable hair. Tric had already recognized Blaise, Pansy, and Harry so Hermione probably had been noticed too. While the group was debating whether or not they should actually introduce new people to the case Ron reminded Harry and Hermione that they had tricked Malfoy with polyjuice potion before so it would probably work again. With this idea they didn't even have to become people they knew; they could just stop by a hairdresser and summon any snippets they wanted to be completely random Muggles.

"So while some of us polyjuice into strangers and Hermione follows Tric with the invisibility cloak, should a couple of us look into the 'summer with the fiancé' angle as well?" Blaise interjected his idea into the discussion before they could decide who would be going undercover to the club with Hermione.

"I'd suggest at least Pansy. She's met the girl before, been to that area of France before, and she'll know any important things about Pureblood arranged marriages," supplied Hermione.

"Well then Harry should be the other one to go, after all he is our resident Malfoy investigator," Ron advised.

Going at the case from multiple routes made everyone feel that much more like they were making progress so everyone was quick to agree with the two pronged attack. Pansy and Harry decided to settle any previous business and make arrangements to travel to France within the next four days. The club going group had it easier since they only needed a few hours to collect the necessary hairs and, between both Harry and Blaise's contacts, could possibly have the polyjuice by tomorrow. Everyone left for his or her respective home feeling extraordinarily hopeful; for the first time in over two years progress was being made towards finding Draco Malfoy.

* * *

By the time the pledged four days were up Harry had managed to unearth everything about Evonne Florette, Draco's abandoned fiancé, and her family's contact with the Malfoys before Draco disappeared. Pansy had arranged for an international portkey to take them to her family's French estate. She also managed to acquire invitations to all the upcoming social events planned in the French Pureblood society. Using Harry's information and Pansy's contacts they hoped to meet with the French witch shortly. Indeed after a bit of discreet owling around and some slight chitchat at a dance (they called it a ball but who actually held those nowadays) they managed to convince Evonne to meet with them.

They arrived at a modestly sized home in the wizarding residential section of Paris and were shown into the sitting room, where Evonne and her husband sat, by a house elf wearing a blue pillowcase. Around three weeks after Draco's letter to The Daily Prophet Evonne had married a wizard from a rather poor Pureblood family whom she had gone to school with. This speedy recovery made Harry and co. incredibly suspicious. When they introduced themselves and asked her about her former engagement to Draco Malfoy Evonne turned to her husband before answering.

"Je pensais qu ils seraient être ici il ya des années. Il cachait bien," she murmured.

Although Harry might not have been fluent in French Pansy had had the foresight to cast a translation charm on him, she of course already spoke it due to both the years of vacationing and her high-class education. They both caught her words and understood them: "I thought that they would be here years ago. He hid it well." Turning back to her two guests she continued her tale in English.

"Because you are who you are and for the reasons you gave I can tell you all I know. You are lucky, I can only tell our story to you two, Blaise Zabini, or Severus Snape, and only if you asked me for the right reasons. This is of course for my own protection as well you understand. When Draco left me he cast a complex memory charm on all of us who knew the truth that would save us even from the most powerful of truth serums." Taking a sip from her teacup the elf had provided she continued.

"Draco came to my family and proposed our engagement just before your sixth year at Hogwarts. Of course he asked my parents to approach his father about it as if it was their idea to join our families. He knew his father so well, he told my parents just what to say and he could provide almost word for word his father's response in advance. This way he made sure that we were engaged while Lucius thought it was mainly his own dealings that arranged our match. Of course at the beginning of this process Draco chose my family because we were a high standing Pureblood family that was mostly neutral in the war, being from France we were not quite as directly involved as you English were. He knew his father would approve of our union because it would cast their family in a better light than marrying into another family that outright supported the Dark Arts could have done while still maintaining the blood purity of the Malfoy line. Draco chose me because my parents were more likely to let me choose who I wanted to marry out of love and would never force me into marriage with a stranger." These revelations were at odds with what they knew. Had Draco actually wanted to marry her before he left, and if he had why did he leave so abruptly? How could she have found a new fiancé so quickly if she had loved Draco? Pansy and Harry barely had time to exchange confused looks at the new knowledge before Evonne plowed on in her story.

"We were never going to actually marry. My parents and I knew this from the start. I was allowed to discreetly date who I wanted to while we pretended to be happily engaged. Draco wanted this protection from an actual arranged marriage while he was in school. He planned to run away from home to America as soon as he graduated. Such a controlling family the Malfoys were. My parents and I agreed to help him escape his father's schemes. It was all we could do; he was so desperate he offered to compensate us for our time at any price we wished to request. Of course we refused his payment and helped him for free. He still managed to gift me with many expensive items as thanks while we were falsely engaged. We had such fun pretending."

"Can you tell us how much time he really spent over here the summer after sixth year?" Harry interrupted her reminiscing.

"Nearly the entire summer. Why do you ask?"

"We have reason to believe he made friends with at least one British Muggle that summer and we wondered how he managed that while supposedly here in France."

"Well he brought a girl with him. She spent most of the time polyjuiced as me while I polyjuiced my boyfriend as Draco." Here she glanced lovingly at her husband who smiled back at her. "We were careful not to be seen in two places at once, but that way we could spend time with who we really wanted to. I don't know that Patricia, the girl he brought, was a Muggle. I assume she was Muggleborn because she knew a lot about magic but still got excited about the smallest things. Like when she met the house elves, she questioned one of them almost to tears. Draco took her to all the tourist sites both Muggle and magical so I think it was her first visit here."

"Could you describe her?" asked Pansy as she leaned forward.

"Certainly, she was rather short, definitely no taller than 5'2" at most. Dark hair, it was brown but looked almost black in most lights, and she had lovely hazel eyes. I admired how they changed color in different lights. And, although this was three years ago so she most likely has changed, her clothing was always quite scandalous. Most of it was black but she wore skirts that covered barely halfway down her thighs and shirts with the neck far too low. In my opinion she dressed like a common prostitute, but Draco claimed she was his friend. They did stay in separate rooms, and she did dress properly when they went out in public so it could be excused." Evonne wrinkled her nose a little at the memory of Patricia's clothing style.

"They never did more than hold hands and kiss once or twice when she was posing as me but they were thinking of moving in together when Draco left home. She gave us the impression that her parents didn't really care what she did or where she went. I assumed they were Muggles who were uncomfortable with her magic."

"Did she ever give you a last name?" Harry eagerly asked.

"Hmmm…possiably Hill or Hall or something along those lines. It was a boring English name that started with an 'H' and wasn't very long." They questioned Evonne for a few more minutes, trying to ensure that they got the entire story and didn't miss any important information Draco had left behind. After establishing that she hadn't known anything further about his plans to become a Muggle and had been just as shocked as the rest of the world to hear of it they decided she'd told them everything helpful she knew.

"Thank you for taking the time to recall all this for us. If you can remember any other useful details that Draco mentioned please owl us right away," Pansy told Evonne as they left.

* * *

**AN: **Uh, I've been kinda hinting that Draco's gay the whole time. I think I was originally going to have him and Harry end up together but he could be bi, someone suggested he should end up with Tric so vote/review and tell me what you guys think should happen, feel free to suggest other partners for him if you want. The main flow of the story is however already decided, sorry.

(Harry was clearly not actually interested in girls in the books until in the sixth book out of the blue he was all over Ginny when he never even really noticed her or any other girls before. I always thought it made sense that he was actually gay. And Ginny looks way too much like his mother did for it not to be some creepy psychological reason he went with her.)


	10. Apartment of Opposites

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 10: Apartment of Opposites

While Pansy and Harry traipsed off to France the trio of club goers prepared for their night(s) of snooping. Once Blaise had the polyjuice, which actually took his supplier three days to acquire on such short notice, they gathered at Hermione's to choose what they wanted to look like. She had spent several hours visiting a variety of Muggle hair salons and barbers across the city taking down detailed notes on the physical attributes of each person whose hair she collected. Using her notes they each chose what they wanted to look like for the night and prepared a flask full of enough polyjuice to remain in their chosen forms all night.

* * *

Later that night, or really the next morning since it was around four am when the Dragon's Den finally closed, two young men walked out of the club and turned into a nearby alley. The shorter blond haired one glanced over at his worried looking companion and sighed.

"Look Weasley, Granger will be perfectly fine on her own. She's got both that cloak and her wand and she's faced Death Eaters before. Trailing after some Muggle will be easy for her." As he spoke Blaise's features started melting back into his own, it was quite a disturbing process as he also grew a few inches mid sentence.

"Yeah I know, but I can't help worrying about her going into an unknown situation without anyone else for backup. It's a bit hard to just lose the 'war' mindset we've been in for years." Ron had also morphed back into his original self during their conversation and he proceeded to pull out his wand. "Well 'Mione and I'll owl you later about what she finds out today, so, uh, goodbye." He and Blaise exchanged awkward nods and farewells before apparating away.

* * *

Hermione waited around for another hour, her appearance having changed back to her own while she was hidden under Harry's invisibility cloak. Finally just before five Tric locked up the club and walked down the street with one of the bouncers to an apartment building a few blocks away. She waved goodbye to her coworker, entered the building, rode the lift to the third floor and let herself into her flat. Hermione darted into the flat just before the door slammed behind Tric. They walked into the kitchen and Tric started the coffee pot. Walking down the hall she stepped into the farthest bedroom, pushed the occupant off the bed and yelled "HONEY, I'M HOME" right in his ear before darting out the door and back into the kitchen cackling madly all the way.

"GODDAMNIT, you EVIL SLUT! It's fucking FIVE AM," grouched the young man in boxers who stumbled into the kitchen.

"Yes, but then it always is," she smirked.

"I am so tempted to kick you out some days," joked Mark.

Hermione stared at the mostly naked man and tried to appraise him objectively. She was having a hard time imagining that Mark actually was the snobbish and studious Draco Malfoy. His skin was lightly tanned everywhere she could see and judging by how fit he looked it was likely that he spent a good chunk of time working out each week. Not that he looked like a weight lifter or anything extreme, but there wasn't any excess flab on his body either. His light brown hair was loose from it's ponytail and quite messy from sleep.

"Unfortunately for you I know you'd never do that," Tric gave a distant, sad, look to an almost vertical scar about four inches long that crossed Mark's left ribcage starting less than an inch below his heart.

"Hey! That wasn't your fault." Mark sternly declared as he pulled a mug out of the cupboard and handed it to her.

"Oh, sure. I am completely free of blame when you only got sliced open saving my stupid arse," she snorted as she turned to the pot on the counter and started pouring the first cup.

"It was my own fault for not thinking. I couldn't have left you there regardless; I promised Rose that I'd make sure you were safe. Being attacked by a group of thugs does not count as safe. Since I'd need to check up on you anyway why not save myself some trouble and just keep you here with me," he quipped back, smoothly handing her the empty cup he'd just pulled out of the cupboard in exchange for the full mug she'd already poured.

"Yeah, well you know now that Lucius is, er- dead, the last Malfoy-" she was cut off as Mark placed his cup on the counter rather sharply.

"Is Narcissa and she's only a part of that vile family through marriage. Good riddance to bad rubbish," spat Mark, glaring at his flat mate.

"Whatever, Mr. Grumpy. You do realize they won't just quit searching for Draco Malfoy," Tric called over her shoulder as she headed back to her room to sleep. "It doesn't matter that he's gone, they don't know he'll never come back, so they won't give up. You can't fully get rid of him if they still remember him."

"Bloody hell, I'm so glad there'll never be anymore of them. I hate Malfoys," sighing and rubbing his hand across his face he walked farther down the hall and slipped into his own bedroom to change for work.

Hermione sat stunned in the kitchen while the two other occupants of the flat moved about getting ready for bed, in Tric's case, and getting ready for the day, in Mark's place. That Mark, the man they had all pegged as Draco, had such a deep hatred for all things Malfoy didn't just complicate things, it almost totally destroyed all their leads. How could he sound like and act like a man he hated? Why was it that Tric had known who they were, and lied to them as if trying to throw them off track, if Mark wasn't Draco. They must have been hiding something else, but from the way they'd spoken about Draco and his family it seemed more likely that Mark would kill Draco than help hide him. Her train of thought was broken as Mark stumbled back into the kitchen, this time dressed and in a very goth fashion.

"Oy, Tric! My roots are starting to show and I'm out of dye, do you need anything from the store?" Mark called back towards Tric's room as he grabbed a grocery list that had been pinned to their fridge by a magnet.

"Sure, I need more bleach and dye for my hair too. Will you let me do some highlights on you this time?" She called back.

"No way."

"Okay. Hey, you're gonna need more solution for your contacts soon," came from the direction of the loo.

"Oh, thanks. I'd almost forgotten." He jotted down the last item and then folded the list and shoved it in his pants pocket. "Say, I think it'd be alright for us to switch again next week if none of their kind come in again. It'll have been long enough by then."

"You just hate giving other people tattoos."

"Obviously. See you for lunch?"

"Yep, I'll come by at the usual time. Have fun Honey!"

"I won't." With this parting shot Mark left the apartment.

Hermione sat patiently waiting for Tric to fall asleep before quietly rising and investigating the rest of the flat. It was really modest with only six rooms, one of which was a linen closet. The front, and only, door opened into a hallway that ran straight down the length of the apartment. The first doorway on the right led into the kitchen while the first doorway on the left led into a small den/living room area that housed a TV, video/DVD player, a stereo set with a small rack of CDs and a small bookcase. Neither doorway actually had a door in it so it was easy to see inside the rooms. Upon searching through the bookcase, obviously this was the first place Hermione looked, she found that all the books were fiction novels that ranged from sci-fi to historical fiction to Shakespeare with the exception of fantasy. Not a single book held any even vague references to magic; Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ and _Macbeth_ were even left out.

Just beyond the kitchen was the door to a small linen closet that seemed to be mostly used as storage space with boxes and a full duffle bag piled high in the back. Across from the closet was the door to what Hermione assumed was Tric's room as she had gone in there and not come out. Avoiding opening that door she walked further into the flat. At the end of the hall on the left was a small bathroom that held only a toilet, a shower stall, and a sink with a mirror and medicine cabinet above it. Sitting on the ledge above the sink was an empty contact case next to a nearly empty bottle of contact solution. There were a few empty hair dye boxes in the trash bin, fuchsia and light brown. On the right was a closed door that led into the room Tric had woken Mark up in earlier. Silently she opened the door, slipped into the room and closed the door behind herself.

Flipping the light switch Hermione flooded the room with light and took in her surroundings. A neatly made double bed sat across from her with the headboard against the far wall. The wall to her left housed a large window that seemed to be one of only two in the whole flat; the other had been a small one at the end of the hallway. A worn plush couch was pushed against the wall under the window oddly with the back facing the rest of the room. Bookcases ran along the rest of the wall housing the door. Across from the window the fourth wall had a desk and decent sized wardrobe lining it. Since the desk was closer to the door than the wardrobe she looked through the contents of it first. Sitting on the desk was a well-thumbed psychology book that had a couple chapters marked and was currently open to the 'dealing with depression' section and a bible that looked thoroughly read. The bookcases were mostly filled with a wide variety of self-help and psychology books. The remaining third of the books covered theology, ethics, and morality. There was a small shelf seemingly dedicated to mortality, death, and the afterlife. None of the books looked new anymore and it was clear that Mark had actually read all of them more than once.

Done with her perusal of the books Hermione paced over to the wardrobe. Opening it she could see a variety of tees, polos, and even a few button down shirts hanging followed by the jeans, pants, and shorts. All the clothes hung in sections by type that were then color coordinated. Although she had seen him dressed in a distinctly goth style this morning most of Mark's clothes weren't actually black. He actually seemed to favor light colors and t-shirts with sarcastic sayings. The bottom of the wardrobe held three small drawers. The top one was filled with neatly folded boxers with a few briefs in the back. The second drawer held mostly socks, again neatly folded and arranged by color, with a few ties off to the side. The last drawer contained accessories, mainly chains and bracelets with only few collars and one or two hair ties.

In all, from her search through his room Hermione could tell that not only did this room belong to Mark but also he was the only one living in the room. He was neat to an obsessive degree. Based on his reading choices and the marked chapters in the book on his desk he was also quite possibly depressed and suicidal with low self-esteem, or he just knew someone like that. Also from all the theological texts and the worn bible it was possible he was a serious Christian. This however could be contradicted by the fact that his club was open both Saturday and Sunday nights until four am just like every other night of the week and she had heard him curse less than an hour ago. Maybe he was just a hypocrite.

After gathering all she could from the rest of the house Hermione chanced a glance into Tric's room. Almost the complete opposite of Mark's Tric had so many of her clothes and possessions on the floor that it was nearly impossible to find a clear spot. Her bed was a double like Mark's but her room lacked both a window and a couch. Her desk was covered in stuff, clothes, accessories, papers, and her bookcase was mostly empty. Almost all the books were either piled on the bed or strewn across the floor with her clothes. The wardrobe sat with the door open, only a few articles of clothing remained hanging inside, and one of the drawers was pulled almost all the way out. Picking her way cautiously through the mess Hermione noted that all of Tric's clothes were, while rather unique, along the same black goth lines she had seen so far. Interestingly enough every book that Hermione could make out was fantasy and all included magic of some sort. Closing the door behind herself Hermione quietly made her way back out of the apartment and out into the street. Still invisible she ducked into an alley and apparated away.

* * *

**AN: **Okay just letting you all know that Tric and Draco currently have a sort of sibling relationship going. Both of them had rotten families that didn't care about them and they sort of bonded and became each other's family over that. So they've never been 'together' in a sexual way.

**SwarmOfFanGirls, Agatsuma Ritsuka, , xDrEaMeRx4xEVA, peace. love. artemis fowl** Thanks a lot for you votes of confidence. This is my first fanfic, actually my first ever piece of writing this long, so it's great to know your opinions. I'll try to be snappy about the updates.

**njferrell, Ducky, Destiny Lot, BlackAsDay** Thank you for the reviews, it looks like it might end up your way. It's how I'm voting! :P

**Hanai-kun** I so agree with you on all accounts, thank you so much for such a detailed review.

**KKool** Thanks, it's great to know I have someone waiting for the rest of the story. I am having trouble moving on with the story because I feel like their relationship is perfect right now and like it shouldn't ever change. *tear* I totally get what your saying.

Awesome I got reviews! It's an amazing feeling. Thank you everyone. Please continue to send me your votes and opinions on the story. Criticism is also good, as long as it's constructive, I'd feel bad if I only got nice reviews.


	11. Pity Card Playing

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff, anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the spell, the club, and Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed, I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 11: Pity Card Playing

"That was… enlightening?"

"Weasley, we just learned that the guy we all thought was my best friend actually hates all things Malfoy and is glad they're all gone and all you can say is it was enlightening!" Blaise snapped out, losing his temper in the face of this seeming defeat.

"Blaise calm down. Let's just take time to think things through. We've still got to hear from Pansy and Harry. We can't give up yet. There may be an explanation for this," soothed Hermione.

"Yeah, and now we know for sure that these two are connected to Malfoy somehow and since they're Muggles they might have met him after he disappeared," pointed out Ron. "Despite Mark's hate for Malfoy we've still made progress towards finding him."

"But he said there were no more Malfoys besides Narcissia. He just about told us Draco's dead. Gone for good! And he had something to do with it, he knows what happened to Draco."

"Most murderers don't talk about their victim like that after the fact. If he had killed Malfoy he wouldn't just casually express open hatred towards Malfoy even in the relative safety of his own home. Unless he's as crazy as Bellatrix was his guilt would make him too paranoid." Ron explained, drawing on his recent Auror training 'criminal psychology' courses.

"It's my fault he's missing; I left him out there alone without any defense against the muggles. He was a pureblood for Merlin's sake. None of his friends were even Halfblood, he had no clue how to live like a muggle and I just let him walk out there with nothing but a duffle bag. No wonder we can't find him, he was probably robbed and killed the minute he left his hotel in New York. We-"

Hermione quietly rattled off a calming charm at Blaise to stop his frantic monologue. Once he had gotten his breath back he thanked her while looking quite sheepish.

"You can ask the goblins." Blaise and Hermione both turned to Ron with identical expressions of 'sadly-you've-just-lost-your-mind-and-I'm-trying-to-find-a-way-to-tell-you-nicely' covering their faces.

"Really, they have some special magic that can tell them exactly when and if anyone who's made a will through any Gringotts branch dies. It makes sure they don't hand out someone's money while they're still alive. The Auror department has some special top secret deal with them where they tell us whenever a witch or wizard dies unexpectedly so we can check for foul play. And sometimes we can use their records to check for an accurate time of death," he quickly explained when he saw their expressions. "I'm sure if you explain the case and your worries, and possibly pay them as well, they'll check his will for you."

"It can't be that easy. Besides why wouldn't anyone else have tried that earlier? We've been searching for him for years," Blaise skeptically replied.

"Well, the Ministry's still a bit incompetent, your private detective bloke probably doesn't have that kind of deal with the goblins and Harry, 'Mione, and I only really started looking for Malfoy after Harry dealt with Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters. Which was only a few months ago, so it's possible nobody's checked yet."

"Are they able to track the whereabouts of their customers as well?" Hermione asked. "Because you know that would probably be a violation of their privacy rights unless they gave prior consent."

"No, they don't track you, but we'll know for sure that he's still alive. Blaise here could stop worrying about what might have happened to Malfoy."

"Well alright then let's go," Hermione declared as she all but shoved the two wizards into the floo and called out "Diagon Alley" as she tossed a handful of glittery green powder into the flames. The three shortly stumbled out into the Leaky Cauldron practically on top of one another.

"Really, Granger, if you wanted me out of you flat all you had to do was ask," stated a sooty Blaise as he stood back up and held out a hand to Ron. She rolled her eyes, starting towards the back door while Ron finished dusting himself off. "I hope you realized how bossy she is before you proposed Weasley." Ron grinned at Blaise and nodded in response as they followed her out.

Although it took them a while, Ron and Hermione were war heroes and Harry Potter's best friends after all, they eventually made it to Gringotts. With a little persuasion, i.e. money, they arranged a meeting with one of the head goblins in records. Blaise started to explain his story to the stony faced official but as soon as he mentioned Draco Malfoy the goblin perked up and interrupted.

"Name?" he demanded.

"Er, Draco Malfoy is the name of the person we're looking for."

"No. Yours."

"My name?"

"Yes."

"Blaise Zabini."

"I'll check." Turning around he abruptly ended the short conversation as he left the three of them sitting in his office.

"Wow Zabini, all you needed was your name," declared Ron.

"I think it's quite unethical of them to hand out information on their clients to people based on who they are."

"Hermione! We came here prepared to pay him for the information. How is that any more ethical than this?"

"Well, just because we were going to do it doesn't mean it isn't unethical. At least this was for a good cause."

Their conversation was interrupted by the goblin's re-entrance into the office carrying a large stack of papers. He sat back down behind the desk and pushed the top piece of parchment across the table towards Blaise.

"This lists all those Mr. Malfoy requested be allowed access to his financial records upon the advent of his departure from the Wizarding World. I require a drop of your blood next to your name to verify the validity of your request." He cleared his throat audibly and took a deep breath before launching into a clearly prepared spiel.

"If you are Mr. Zabini your name will turn a golden color when your blood hits it. You may then pursue these records at your leisure as long as they remain in the bank and aren't duplicated. If you aren't Mr. Zabini the name will turn red and your real name will write itself on the page. Should this happen we reserve the right to both deny you access to these records and fine you an amount of up to fifty percent of the net value of all Mr. Malfoy's current holdings and finances. If you are under the influence of any mind altering and/or controlling spells or potions such as the Imperious curse your name will turn black. In such a case we reserve the right to deny you access. Once we hunt down the perpetrator we then reserve the right to fine them the above mentioned amount and withdraw restitution for attempted fraud of a goblin in blood payment up to and including the loss of a maximum of one limb, excluding their wand arm, in accordance with the goblin-wizard peace treaty of 1763, section 24, sub-section d, clause iii," the goblin rattled off. After pausing for breath he laid a small dagger on the parchment and gave them a rather sinister leer. "Do you still wish to attempt to access Mr. Malfoy's records?"

"How's that for ethical 'Mione? Paranoid much?" Ron muttered as Blaise nodded and pricked himself with the dagger. They watched as he carefully dripped his blood over his name on the list that also included Pansy, Harry, Snape, Ron, Hermione, and Narcissa with a note stating that the last three had to be accompanied by at least one of the first four to be allowed access unless all four were dead. Cleaning the dagger between each person the goblin passed it over to Ron and Hermione in turn. All their names turned golden for a few minutes and he allowed them to look through the files.

"Bloody Hell Malfoy is _rich_," blurted Ron after a few moments of scanning through the financial records. Hermione and Blaise burst into giggles and snickers respectively in response.

"He only lorded it over your head for around seven years," Blaise pointed out a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah, but, I didn't realize how rich he was."

"Mr. Malfoy is our second most wealthy patron," interjected the still observing goblin with more than just a hint of smug pride. "The Blacks and the Malfoys had always been two of the most wealthy families we serve. It was only the addition of the Potter fortune to the Black fortune that managed to push the Malfoy holdings into second."

"Wow."

"Alright boys, if you could stop gossiping about how much money your friends have, I've found Malfoy's will." Both boys quickly crowded around to read the document over her shoulders. Skipping down to the end of the lengthy document they all stared at the 'client status' section. The line read 'The current life status of the client Draco Malfoy is** Non-Existent**.' As Blaise went pale and sank back into his chair Hermione turned towards the goblin and practically demanded he explain exactly what 'non-existent' meant.

"Simply that Draco Malfoy is no longer in existence. If he had been alive it would have read alive, similarly if he was ill or close to dying it would have read declining or something along those lines," the goblin calmly explained without even batting an eyelash over the fact that his second most wealthy patron was no longer able to conduct business with the bank.

"How long have you known about this?" Hermione narrowed her eyes as she observed how unconcerned the goblin was.

"We have a system in place that alerts us immediately of any change in a client's status. Mr. Malfoy's status changed from 'alive' to 'non-existent' almost two years ago on the third of September."

"Why was no one alerted? What about carrying out his will?"

"We are, in the first paragraph of his will he specifically requests that there be a delayed notification period of ten years. As it has only been slightly less than two years we will not be announcing either the status change or holding a reading of the will for the next eight years. You will also be bound to secrecy on this matter unless the person you wish to share with is also included in Mr. Malfoy's will. They, in turn, will also be unable to discuss the matter with those not in his will." He haughtily directed her to the beginning of Draco's will where an in depth paragraph restated what he had just told them. Slightly placated Hermione proceeded to read the entire will in silence. Once she finished the three humans returned the files to their guardian goblin before quickly leaving the bank.

Before Blaise could wander, or more accurately stagger, off in his stunned, grief stricken state Hermione dragged both him and Ron back to her flat. Settling them down in her living room she made tea before rejoining the two wizards to start a conversation.

"This may not be the best time but I've found a relation between Tric and Draco Malfoy." Her statement seemed to cut through Blaise's daze and he focused on it as if it was a broom she had thrown to him as he fell from a quidditch stand.

"What? How did she know him?"

"It might be more accurate for us to ask how he knew her. After all, she and her sister are two of the main benefactors in his will. Tric's sister introduced herself to Harry that night Tric brought her to the Dragon's Den. She was a second year Ravenclaw when we were seventh years. Her name is Rose Hill, and she has an older non-magical sister named Patricia Hill. Both of them were in Draco's will."

"Why were they in his will? I don't even know how or when Draco would have really met either one of them. Especially the Muggle one. He only had one pen-pal and they sent their letters by owl, why would he have been writing to some second year Ravenclaw?"

"Well the reasons stated in the will were odd as well. Rose gets a pretty decent sized sum of money with the message that it's to thank her for introducing him to a true soul mate and that he wishes her luck with her dreams. He left Patricia even more money than Rose as well as a house in Paris with a note stating the house is so she'll never be homeless again and that since she's such a rebel if she ever needs a real campaign to fight for she can have his."

"That girl must be really good at playing the pity card," mused Ron.

"What? Why?"

"Well not only did she get Malfoy to leave her a house because she was homeless but she got Mark to take her in off the streets as well. I'd say she's really good at playing to her audience. Can you really see Malfoy just falling over to help some homeless Muggle girl he hears about or even bumps into."

"No, he always made you earn his respect before he was willing to even consider what he called 'making nice' to you. It was a way to make sure that your interaction would benefit him somehow before he wasted any effort."

"Did he ever do anything without calculating out all its benefits?" Hermione asked with a look that said she was both skeptical of and in awe of Draco's mind.

"I've never seen or heard of him ever doing anything that didn't benefit himself in some way. But sometimes his plots were so subtle you didn't really notice what was happening until after the fact. For example I think he had been subtly pushing Pansy and I together before, but when he left he only told the two of us ahead of time and it really pushed us together. Looking back he didn't need to include Pansy, he only needed one witness to see him leave the dorms. But he could tell that we both sort of liked each other, and that we'd make a good couple, so he helped us along."

"And how did that benefit him?"

"I like to think that he wanted his friends to be happy, but it could also have been his way of tying up loose ends and trying to ensure we were distracted while he made good on his escape."

"So if he was only being your friend because it helped him then maybe he wasn't really your friend."

"Ron!"

"It's alright, I've already considered that multiple times before. I've come to the conclusion that while he was using us for some things he also wanted friends and choose us."

"Well, getting back on topic what do we do about Tric now?"

"Simple 'Mione, we wait until Harry and Pansy come back before staking-out the suspect. First we wait for Harry's information and let them think we've left them alone. Then we'll strike."

"You might be getting a little too into this Ron."

* * *

**AN: **Okay, sorry this took so long but I've been a college dropout and thus homeless for a while and I just had to move back across the country to mooch off my parents and my computer was in storage. Funnily enough my best friend since like forever also dropped out and moved back in with her parents, but she wasn't actually homeless for any amount of time. I've been storing stuff all over with friends and bumming it since January.

**BlackAsDay** It really looks like it'll be your way or no way. Thanks for the review.

P.S. Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get.


	12. Walls With Ears

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim Tric (and her family), the concept of the will/lifestatus records, and the specifics behind the living portrait idea (it's totally based off of J.K. Rowling's portrait of Mrs. Black).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 12: Walls With Ears

"So…tell us about France?" None of the three who had stayed in England were anxious to share what they had discovered with Pansy and Harry. Of the group those two were possibly the most determined to find Draco. Blaise couldn't bear to tell his emotionally invested fiancé their best friend wasn't coming back and neither Ron nor Hermione were looking forward to telling their stubborn friend that he had to give up his search.

"Oh it was a marvelous idea. We found out that Draco actually did go to France but he took a girl with him. Harry thinks that Patricia Hill, the girl he brought, is actually Tric. And the whole engagement was an elaborate plan of Draco's to avoid a real betrothal. Are you sure Tric is a Muggle? Evonne thought she was a Muggleborn witch because she knew a lot about magic." Pausing in her excited speech Pansy looked expectantly over at Hermione, the group's universally acknowledged source of quick information.

"Yes we're sure. But her little sister goes to Hogwarts."

"Oh, that explains it. Anyways the reason I never suspected anything was because it really was Draco I met up with. It just wasn't the real Evonne I met. They polyjuiced their friends into each other so they didn't actually have to spend too much time sitting around together. Evonne actually spent the whole summer with her boyfriend while Draco spent it with Patricia. She knew it was a false engagement so she was able to date during the year. That's why she got married just after Draco disappeared. Her wedding was already planned!"

"Talk about two-timing," murmured Ron. Smacking his arm lightly Hermione motioned for the others to continue. As Pansy sat back Harry took over the narrative.

"Evonne told us that Malfoy was planning on going to America and that he and Tric were thinking about moving in together when Draco left home. She didn't know anything about his plans to live as a Muggle though. So we can pretty much assume that Mark and Draco are the same person." Leaning forward he looked expectantly at the three club going investigators. "So what did you guys manage to find?"

"Er- well Hermione followed Tric home. She heard a pretty odd conversation between Mark and Tric. And she found some other stuff in their flat so she could tell you about that." Turning Ron stared pleadingly at Hermione silently begging her to break the news for them. Sighing regretfully she conceded.

"I found that they do share a flat but not a room. They have a very well established morning ritual so it is probable that they have been living together for quite some time. Their refrigerator and cabinets held the bare essentials in food products so it's likely they eat out often and neither one of them cooks. They had enough dishware for themselves and two guests but the flat held only two bedrooms, a kitchen, a den, a loo, and a really small linen closet." As she listed these facts those who didn't know what was coming grew more and more impatient.

"Okay, did you find anything interesting or relevant?" Pansy hurriedly interjected.

"Well Mark's room is obsessively neat and organized. He seems really into ethics, religion, and psychology, but other than that his clothing taste is pretty average. Tric has completely opposite tastes; her room was a pigsty, all her clothes are in the extreme Goth style, and from her reading matter we can safely assume she loves magic. Oddly enough there are absolutely no references to magic or Muggle fantasy anywhere in their apartment except in her room. It seems like Mark is not a fan of it."

"So? What does that mean? How is this relevant to our search for Draco?"

"Well, maybe I could just show you." Hermione wimped-out so they had to show her memory of Tric and Mark discussing the decline of the Malfoy line to Harry and Pansy using a pensive. Haltingly they explained the will life-status disaster and what they had found at the bank.

"So, we've pretty much found Malfoy. Maybe we should stop digging. I'm pretty sure none of us really need to know exactly how he, you know," hesitantly Ron broke the silence that had enveloped the group. "If you're that curious you can ask his portrait. I'm sure he has one, he was from a rich pureblood family." Perking up slightly Blaise took Ron's suggestion in a different direction.

"I'm sure his mother has his living portrait, we can ask her to let us visit it. The will didn't actually say he was dead did it! If his portrait isn't moving yet he's still alive somehow. And even if it is, he'll tell us if Mark and Tric killed him. We'll be able to find and punish his murderers at the least."

"I was going more for let's leave well enough alone and move on eventually but hey whatever flies your carpet," muttered Ron as the rest of the group slowly cheered up.

Blaise and Pansy had a standing invitation to Malfoy Manor where Narcissa Malfoy still lived. Harry was also an infrequent visitor as the remaining two Black sisters had resolved their differences, once the rest of their family was out of their way, and Narcissa loved to have his godson Teddy Lupin visit. She often welcomed her niece Nymphadora and nephew-in-law Remus Lupin over for tea with their son and Harry. Mr. Malfoy's ancestors were likely rolling in their graves as she had Andromeda and her family over; from Halfbloods and werewolves to Muggleborns and defeaters-of-Dark-Lords her company was drastically different these days from any the manor had seen in the past. Still she hadn't yet had a Weasley over, and Ron wasn't too keen on the idea of visiting the _Malfoy_ Manor, so they decided to just send over the three more frequent visitors.

* * *

"Draco's living portrait? Oh, it's been acting a bit odd lately but you could try visiting with him. I used to keep it in my sitting room but I had to move him around two years ago. He isn't the best company." Leading them into her son's old room Mrs. Malfoy directed them to a large painting hanging on the wall at the head of the bed across from the window. "He insisted on hanging there. I'm sure you can all fit on the bed comfortably. I'll be having tea in the small sunroom, please join me when you decide you've spoken with him enough." Waving them farther into the room she quietly closed the door and left.

"Did she say it was moving?" Nervously Pansy glanced over at the likeness of Draco.

A wizard's living portrait was painted using special magic and although it didn't move it aged with its subject until their death. When a wizard died his living portrait would wake-up and could move freely about. They were special because they held all the knowledge, personality, and memories their subject possessed at the time of their death. This made them quite expensive; only the wealthy old pureblood families tended to have them made and even then most would only have a portrait of the family heir made due to how much it might cost. If Draco's was moving about and talking to Narcissa then he really was dead. A living portrait didn't wake early did it?

"It is quite rude to visit me and yet not introduce yourselves. At least move so I can see you. One would think you were raised by muggles."

Moving over they sat in a line on the foot of the bed facing the portrait.

"Parkinson, Zabini, and Potter. What an odd group of guests, and one of you actually was raised in muggle filth. I'm surprised you two can stomach sitting that close to 'perfect Potter.' To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" While he was speaking the painting remained almost stationary; only its face really moved.

"Actually I'm hoping you could explain that to us. We've been searching for you for years, and were hoping you wouldn't be moving yet," sighing morosely Blaise shifted over to comfort Pansy who had grown teary at the sound of Draco's voice.

"Well, I'd have been able to move more if you'd been here a month or so ago. I'm losing ground, or looking at it from the other side gaining it. We haven't been so connected in years," he proudly explained.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned him.

"Well those of us with parents learned all about living portraits early on," Draco sneered at him before explaining. "I am **Draco Malfoy's** living portrait. When **Draco Malfoy **dies I come to life. Essentially **Draco Malfoy **died almost two years ago and I came to life. Unfortunately we were still tied into the living plane of existence and I never gained full mobility. I have never been able to leave my frame. Around a month ago I began losing mobility and gaining somewhat disjoined memories and thoughts. Somewhere **Draco Malfoy** is regaining life. Or something like that. We are after all just a portrait and we don't know everything." Speaking very slowly and deliberately the portrait emphasized it's name and enunciated each word carefully as if Harry was a very small, very dim, child.

"Is that even possible?"

"Clearly being raised by muggles damaged your intellect. It is happening right now, therefore it is possible." Ignoring Harry and looking at Pansy the portrait took on a disgusted look. "How did you survive seven years in Slytherin being so emotional? I'm sure I couldn't tolerate spending much time near you if you cried this often."

"What are you talking about, you used to comfort Pansy all the time! She's always been overly emotional. We even had a contest to see who could get her to show the most different moods in the shortest amount of time when we were younger."

"I knew you were doing that!"

"Yeah, we had to be extra subtle because you got mad when you realized what we were doing."

"I don't recall any games of the sort. If I had played such things I'm sure I would have won though." Haughtily the likeness turned up its nose at Draco's former school friends. "If that is all we grow tired of your presence."

"Actually we'd like to know about these memories you've been getting lately," Harry interjected before they could completely be dismissed.

"Oh, I'm sure they're just wishful thinking and other such nonsense. I'm usually with my father, aunt, and other acquaintances of theirs that you in particular dislike; doing things you would frown upon to muggles. Occasionally we torture a mudblood or two. Once or twice we've even tortured you three. Due to that and the fact that Mother told me you've defeated the Dark Lord and his followers I doubt any of it is real. Pity, I especially enjoy playing taunt-the-helpless-muggle-and-force-him-to-watch-us-torture-all-his-loved-ones," he flippantly recalled. He then looked over their heads out the window and refused to respond any further.

Closing the door Blaise turned to Harry with a determined look on his face.

"That is not Draco's living portrait. It didn't act like him, talk like him, or have his memories. We need Hermione to find out how someone could have tampered with a living portrait."

"I don't know; that seemed like the Malfoy I knew for seven years," Harry skeptically responded.

"He wasn't always like that. That was his public 'Malfoy' face, he was usually nicer in private," explained Pansy.

"I can still hear you. I assure you that I have all my memories and personality. Maybe you were friends with someone else," the portrait shouted at them through the door.

"So you think the portrait only got part of him?" Harry continued the conversation once they were out of earshot down the hall.

"Maybe, we need to find out more about how the specific spells work and how his painting could get partial mobility. I've never heard of that happening before. We can't give up hope that he's still out there somewhere." Blaise and Harry continued to discuss the logistics of being partially dead as they made their way to the sunroom for tea with their hostess.

Meanwhile the portrait sitting back in Draco's old room grinned eerily to itself. "I can't wait until I'm back in. Everyone needs a proper dark side to their personality," chuckling menacingly to itself it resumed watching something no one else could see.

* * *

**AN: **If anyone ever invites you on a wicked awesome sounding backpacking trip around Africa, ask a few important questions first:

Will we sleep in tents with elephants and hippos right next to us? Will lions, leopards, hyenas, and other wildlife have access to our camp and hiking trails? Will there be venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions, etc. sharing our living quarters? YES.

Will vicious stray dogs chase us? Will I get bitten by a (different) dog? YES.

Will we have to boil all our water before we can safely consume it? YES.

Will we spend days in bed violently sick and unable to move? YES.

Will there be loos, electricity, cars, paved roads, or running water? ONLY SOMETIMES.

Internet? Phones? NO.

Will I receive marriage proposals from men whose name, age, and everything else is unknown? YES.

Will a man ask me to take off my shirt to give it to him in the middle of a marketplace? YES. He supposedly liked my shirt. Some places if someone likes your stuff you give it to them (or make up polite excuses or ask for their things in exchange). I had to convince him it was my dad's shirt so I couldn't give it away (it was). He told me to go to America, get one for him, and bring it next time I come to Africa. I don't know how I'd find him though.

Will we be lost, cold, hungry, and at times terrified out of our minds? YES.

Would you want to go on this trip? I went. It was a once in a lifetime experience. As in I hope I don't experience anything quite like it again. So I'm sorry for the delay but I was busy fighting for my life (fine it wasn't quite that extremely dangerous the entire time, but I did almost fall to my death off a mountain while bouldering back down it, twice) these last few months, all in the name of 'friendship,' 'fun,' and 'experience'.

**BlackAsDay, Rafa93, sammythehedgehog, Marie-Ruth, OneShotMarvel: **Thank you for the reviews. It's an awesome feeling getting them from 'repeat offenders' like BlackAsDay but it's also really encouragingly cool hearing from new readers, at least ones who haven't reviewed before. Almost every vote has leaned towards Harry & Draco being together, not even counting Chicago style votes (vote early, vote often, even if you're dead). I really want to get more Mark/Draco and Tric in there and this chapter started out as solely them, but that had to be pushed back so I restarted it again all about them (this was chapter 13) but the portrait pushed his way ahead so you'll be getting a purely Mark, Draco, Tric centered chapter in a few days after some tweaking. Promise.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get.


	13. Mind Over Malfoy

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim Tric (and her family) and the club.

**Warning: **It gets a bit dark and more serious in this chapter: some non-graphic violence and mentions of character deaths, and themes of mental disturbance. Also there is some conversation about sex.

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 13: Mind Over Malfoy

Draco realized he was dreaming again when he landed in the London alley he had traced Tric to almost four years ago. It was his memory of meeting Tric, almost. He ran towards the men threatening a fourteen-year-old Tric; just two common thugs attempting to mug what had looked like an easy target.

One of them had held a knife, he was the reason Draco had that scar on his side. He'd forgotten about Muggle weapons and couldn't go to Madame Pomfrey when he wasn't supposed to have left the school grounds in the first place. The cut had healed the Muggle way since he hadn't been able to remember any good healing spells for cuts that big.

This time as he tried to cast a spell, any spell that could help, nothing happened. He couldn't reach them either; he seemed to move back two steps for each one he took forwards. His wand wasn't responding. It was just a dead stick in his hand. Frantic he ran faster towards the scene. One of the men held Tric as the other started to beat her up in front of him. She stared at him accusingly through blooming black eyes as her lip was split open. "Why won't you help me," she called out to him.

He struggled to yell back, "I'm trying!" but no words would leave his throat.

Pumping his arms and legs harder he could hear maniacal laughter echoing down the alleyway. "This is what happens when you don't have magic. A son who would throw away everything we stand for deserves to watch everyone he cares for suffer. This is your fault," came his father's voice from behind him. Whirling around Draco faced his father and his aunt Bellatrix. Lying chained on the ground in front of them were Blaise, Pansy, and Rose. He watched, bound by invisible ties, as they were each tortured in turn. Gasping he jerked forward and tumbled off his bed, wrapped in the sheets.

After detangling himself he headed silently down the darkened hallway to Tric's room. Quietly opening the door he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the cluttered room with its wacky occupant still sound asleep. Picking his way across the floor he cleared a space next to the bed. Sitting down he leaned against the edge of her bed and nodded off.

* * *

"You had that dream again?" Tric leaned over the edge of the bed, her head hanging off next to his, and gently ran her fingers through Mark's hair. Petting him softly she continued a comforting litany as he grew slowly more aware. "You saved me easily, I didn't even lose any money. Rose is fine. Neither of us would ever blame you for something you couldn't help. Remember, Harry defeated Voldemort ages ago. Bellatrix died and Lucius was kissed. None of it's real."

"I know, but what if someone missed something? They thought Pettigrew was dead for over twelve years and look how that turned out," sighing Mark leaned into the caress. "They're getting worse Tric, more frequent. It's harder to tell myself I'm dreaming. I'm afraid I'll wake-up one day and this will be the dream."

"That won't happen. I won't let it. You found a way to turn yourself into a muggle. I'll find a way to turn myself into a witch and drag you back to me if I need to!"

"Honey, I hate to burst your bubble but that really is impossible," laughed Mark.

"Shows what you know mister! I used to think magic was impossible. Once upon a few years ago everyone thought it would be impossible for you to live as a muggle, and be happy doing it. We have proven the impossible possible before, and we can do it again! Runaways stick together Honey, we're closer than family." Shoving his head down playfully she leapt off the bed and tripped merrily into the kitchen to start the coffee pot.

"You can't use my own motto against me! Find your own reassuring saying, you brat." Jumping up he chased her down the hall. "I call dibs on toast duty."

"Yeah, 'cause that's all you can cook without burning down the building. I'll make eggs. How you can supervise the start of an entire business and learn how to mix hundreds of different drinks, but still never master the stove is the real miracle."

"Mixing drinks is easy. It's like _chemistry_, but less reactive. That stove likes to burn things. It hates me, I swear it acts disagreeable when you're not around just to spite me." Pulling faces at the oven he opened a drawer, jerked out a bag of sliced bread, and plopped it on the counter next to the toaster.

"I'm sure if it had a brain it would be laughing at you." Rolling her eyes at her roommate's antics Tric pulled out the dishes and handed them to him. "Just set the table and make the toast. I'm sure I can manage the rest without you, as usual."

"What ever would I do if I didn't have you?" Mark cried dramatically as he laid out plates for two.

"You'd have made a complete fool of yourself long before now, or ended up as some crazy hobo everyone avoids." Tric deadpanned back.

"Hey! I'm not that helpless; I'm perfectly capable of ordering out."

"Then you'd've ended up insanely fat."

"I workout!"

"I'm not sure having periodic one night stands counts as really 'working out'."

"No need to make fun of my healthy sex life just because you don't have one. And for the last time I don't do one night stands!"

"Yeah, you just do really, **really** short relationships. Ha, the only time you ever properly leave your Den is when you volunteer at the youth center. 'Hi guys, my parents never cared about me either. Really, my father literally tortured me!' It's easy to sit and share your sob story."

"Volunteering at the youth center every Saturday is a workout. Those kids make me play way too much football, and rugby, and basketball, and all those other funny muggle sports that only have one ball. You're jealous because whenever you come they think you're another troubled youth."

"What can I say, I'm excellent at fitting in." Making eye contact they both burst into hysterical laughter at the thought of the eyesore-pink haired gothed-out Tric fitting in anywhere except maybe at an underground gothic club or possibly a _Pink_ fanatic cosplay convention. Gasping for breath she turned back to the frying pan and waved her hand imperiously at him, "Hurry-up with that or I might have to call dibs on using the bathroom first. Then you'll never be ready for our trip in time."

* * *

Less than an hour and a half later the two were both changed into their own typical clothing and hurrying about the apartment.

"Tric Honey, did you remember to pack a robe?"

"Yes, my bag's already in the car, where we should be."

"But I can't find our membership card." Mark wailed at her as he rummaged through the drawers in their kitchen.

"It's waiting for us in the car along with the rest of our stuff," Tric replied rolling her eyes as she held open their flat's door for him. Blushing lightly he grabbed the car keys she held out and stepped into the hallway, waiting for her to lock the door behind them. "We do this like every other month, what's gotten you so confused this time?"

"It's just those people. Popping up after all this time, coming to my Den three different times and then nothing. I can't shake this feeling of impending doom. Every time I turn a corner I expect them to be standing there ready to stun me and drag me off. That or a green flash of light from certain other members of that society."

"Relax, _He_ made it sound like there weren't any of the green light sort left."

"Well _His_ kind has always been a little too trusting. Besides if Sev hasn't found us yet something must have gone wrong. It can't really be safe."

"Honey, try to relax while we're gone. You can worry about them after this. Right now you need to drive us there in time for that pedicure you insisted I have. And you mister need to keep up your tan now more than ever." By this point in their conversation they reached a grey prius parked behind their apartment building. Mark held open Tric's door before slipping into the driver's seat and starting the car.

"You know you've always wanted to try one, and I'm sure they'll be willing to paint your nails grey or black if you ask."

"Oh don't worry, I already did." Laughing at her predictability they pulled out into traffic.

* * *

He was standing at the back of the greater ballroom, where his father used to hold important social events. _Damn, more dreams. More horribly realistic impossible to wake-up from dreams._ With their backs to Mark all the people in the room looked the same; black cloaks hid their identities. Although he couldn't see what was happening he could hear enough to know he really didn't want to be here.

"Before being fully accepted into the ranks of my servants you must prove your devotion young Malfoy. Let us see how well you can perform the most important curses, on people you know." Raising his voice the Dark Lord called to someone outside of the room, "bring in tonight's entertainment."

Everyone turned toward Mark and watched as the large double doors behind him opened. None of them seemed to notice the clearly out of place young man dressed in muggle clothes. Turning to see what caught their attention Mark watched as four bound figures with cloth hoods hiding their identities were dragged in by McNair, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle, Seniors. The crowd parted to let them by and Mark edged around the perimeter of the room while everyone was looking away. Slipping past the spectators he could see the Dark Lord standing at the head of the room with a lone cloaked figure kneeling before him. Turning his head the follower looked directly at Mark.

Draco Malfoy smiled at the horrified look on Mark's face as he saw himself, looking as he would without the hair-dye, meticulous tan, and coloured contacts, kneeling before the Dark Lord, preparing to prove his devotion to the Pureblood cause. Standing he pulled out his wand as the prisoners were dragged into the space before him. Pulling off their hoods (Death Eater wannabe) Draco revealed Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and lastly Severus Snape. Raising an eyebrow at the identity of the final captive he turned back to his soon-to-be-master.

"Your godfather has been found guilty of spying for the light. Surely you don't have anything against torturing such a traitor?" Lord Voldemort slyly tested his newest recruit.

_No, no, no. Please, I know you care about him._ Silently Mark begged his doppelganger to find a way out for his (their?) godfather.

"Of course not my Lord." Smoothly turning back (the clearly evil) Draco calmly pointed his wand at Snape. "_Crucio_."

"No!" Dashing out in front of Draco, Mark stood between himself and his would-be victim. "We can't, don't! You can't do this." Draco grinned when the spell passed through Mark as if he wasn't there and continued on its original course.

Looking around, confused as to why nobody was surprised by what had just happened, Mark finally realized that the only one who could see him was Draco. He didn't exist to the rest of the room. No one heard him yelling at them, nothing he touched moved, nothing he did had any effect other than to amuse the Draco Malfoy that everyone else seemed to think was real. Even his double ignored his attempts to stop the torture and eventual murder of his godfather. Mark was forced to watch powerless as his likeness used the imperious curse on Weasley and made him murder Granger before killing himself. As the Death Eaters cheered him on (the obviously heartless) Malfoy finally turned to Harry Potter.

"You aren't me. He was our hope, the light at the end of the tunnel. I fell in love with him: with his bravery and his goodness and, and just all of him. I'd never kill him. This is just a nightmare." Laughing Draco finished the 'show' in a flash of green light.

He was congratulated by most of the Death Eaters as they filed out, the meeting adjourned. Finally the only two left in the room with the four corpses were Mark and Draco. Sauntering over Malfoy stood smirking next to his distraught double.

"This isn't just some made-up nightmare. I am you, you know. Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy."

"I am not a Malfoy."

"Not anymore, but you were once. You can change your name. You can change your looks. You can even change your personality. But you can't change your blood, and yours is Malfoy blood. Evil and the Dark Arts practically flow through our veins."

"If I'm still Draco Malfoy then you aren't."

"Oh but I am. You are the Draco and I am the Malfoy. When you created 'Mark' you created me. You took all the light and left behind the Dark. That's the thing about magic, when you bottle it up or leave it alone it breaks out in any way it can. The living portrait of Draco Malfoy couldn't encompass Mark Willasin if they weren't the same person."

"Fuck no, I may have created two identities but both of us are still the same person. You still have the same feelings as me. This is just a nightmare." Heaving a sigh Malfoy turned to look back at the bodies.

"They were going to get married soon. Probably just to spawn a dozen or so more redheaded Gryffindor children. We've done them a favor really. Potter's purpose in life was to defeat our Lord so he had to go. And Severus should have known better. Sure we loved Harry Potter but you took that when you created Mark. We cared for Sev but you took that too. I've been left with all your hate, selfishness, greed, cruelty, pureblood supremacy ideals, and most importantly your magic. Maybe I care a little for Narcissa, but you stole the rest and left behind the spoiled elitist Draco Malfoy to fester with the help of your magic. We just have to wait now."

"What?"

"Your mistake was leaving the Wizarding World completely behind with Draco Malfoy. Now all I have to do is wait for you to drown in memories. The first order of business once you're gone will be to break the magic confining spell and get rid of that muggle girl you're so attached to. Divided you'll fall."

"Lord Voldemort is dead for good. All his followers are gone. Nothing you say can ever make this real. There is no way you will ever be me."

"I'm not picky, I'll settle for an uprising of my own. I don't have to make this real. You will."

"People change. If you've grown I've grown. I refuse to lose my mind like that."

"What are you going to do? Visit a mind healer? Try explaining how you're actually Draco Malfoy and you've magically created an evil half to your personality. Good luck with that, you can't even get past muggle repelling charms any more."

* * *

Flipping through his frequently used psychology tomes before work Mark murmured worriedly to himself. "Even if he's a possibility there must be a way to get rid of him. It's not quite dissociative identity disorder surely I could re-merge myself? Maybe as a last resort, I'm not sure I'd _want_ someone like that as a part of me. Even if he was me originally." Shutting the book he stood up stretching and headed out down the hall. Passing Tric's room he called out, "'Night Honey, I'm off to work. Don't stay up too late reading that fantasy crap."

"It's not crap, Mark!"

"Yeah, I know," he whispered as he shut the door behind himself.

* * *

**AN: **A prius is a hybrid car made by Toyota, it seats five including the driver and gets really great mileage. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up but well that silly thing some people call 'real life' and 'school/college' started and just swept me away.

**Cyna, beautifulyellowflame, Marie-Ruth: **Thank you for your reviews. All the encouragement is inspiring me to try and update quickly. Hey Marie-Ruth my best friend, who's family is the model for Tric's, shares part of your name.

**OneShotMarvel:** I hope you're still enjoying the convoluted mess that is Mark/Draco. Yes I like the portrait too, and if you can't tell that is the portrait talking to Mark in their shared dream at the end there. Now what will Mark be able to do about him is the real question. Even I don't know exactly what quite yet. Thank you for the comment about my writing, someone else told me I suck, my idea was crap, reading it was a waste of their time and I need to buy a thesaurus, so it's good to hear nice things as well to keep me from giving up.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Originally Draco/Mark and Harry ended up together but some like him with Tric so vote/review and tell me what you guys think should happen. The main flow of the story is however already decided, sorry.


	14. Timeline  not real chapter

**AN:** Sorry but this isn't a real chapter but my best friend, who dislikes the idea of gays and yaoi (she's a religious Christian), and is only reading this story for me because I wrote it asked me to give her an actual timeline because it was getting confusing. So I give you the timeline that I have on my computer because I used to get confused too. I have to humor her because she's let me steal her birthday September 3rd for Mark, some of her physical attributes for Tric, and her family for Tric. I did however cut out most of the events I don't think you guys know about yet but if it's missing something feel free to tell me and if it has extra info then oops you get a preview. Without further ado, Happy Birthday Ruth!

**Edit:** Sorry, someone pointed out I was missing some stuff and I realized that Rose's birthday was off. The 25th was when they went to the bank and discovered Draco's current state of non-existence.

* * *

**Edit December 9, 2010:** The timeline is now current to chapter 20 so **STOP** if you're new and skip to the next chapter for now. I did try to leave out anything that could be too spoiler-ish but it never hurts to be too careful.

* * *

Timeline for Going Wizard Again

**Draco's birthday:** June 5, 1980 **Harry's birthday:** July 31, 1980 **'Mark's' birthday:** September 3, 1980 **Rose's birthday:** August 18, 1985 **Tric's birthday:** January 11, 1982

**Draco gains emotions:** While watching Harry compete in the tri-wizard tournament and actually letting his curiosity out in muggle studies class Draco starts to realize that the world is not exactly as his pureblood fanatic father taught him, and that it really shouldn't be either. Being a Slytherin he realizes that he cannot truly let any of this show but he relaxes his Malfoy attitude enough to make friends with Pansy and Blaise, because he likes them and he's lonely with just Vincent and Greg around. He starts to admire Harry as he watches Harry overcome the massive handicaps he has in the tournament. This could be the start of his crush on the other boy but he doesn't admit it, and it doesn't become 'love,' for a few years.

**Draco gets engaged to Evonne Florette:** Early in the summer of 1996 Draco arranges a false engagment with Evonne Florette. Only the Florettes and Draco know of its falsehood, everyone else thinks it's real. (He hasn't met Tric or Rose yet.) He starts thinking about how he can get away from the 'Malfoy' life.

**Rose starts Hogwarts:** At 11 Rose goes to Hogwarts for the first time during Draco and Co.'s sixth year. The school year is 1996-97. She is sorted into Ravenclaw and her parents are so proud they start to ignore Tric and compare the sisters (Tric isn't gifted like Rose, smart like Rose, etc.).

**Tric runs away the first time:** Christmas break, around the 20th to 22nd. Tric is 14 when she runs away the first time, her younger sister is 11 and Draco is 16, the year is 1996. (Draco meets Rose and then Tric due to this event. This is when he both 'saves Tric's arse' and gets the scar.)

**Draco and Tric become pen pals:** After their adventure when Tric ran away the two decide to become pen pals for the rest of the year. Draco uses multiple secrecy and glamour charms on stacks of parchment he sends her to write back to him on so no one can read their letters. (They also use muggle invisible ink, aka lemon juice, so that someone magical can't just break all his spells, this is Tric's idea as Draco has never heard of it.) Through letters they grow really close, Draco teaches Tric about the Wizard world while Tric teaches him about the Muggle world, over the rest of the school year.

**Draco and Tric go to France:** During the summer of 1997 Draco secretly takes Tric to France with him to pose as his fiancé Evonne Florette so they can hang out and go sightseeing. His parents and Pansy visit him here and Pansy meets Tric in disguise thinking she is Evonne. (His parents meet the real Evonne for obvious safety reasons.) While posing as a couple Draco and Tric do kiss a few times but decide they'd like to just be friends. By this time they have started to make plans to move away from their families and in together once Draco graduates. Tric knows of Draco's plans to go Muggle but nobody else does.

**Draco starts final Hogwarts year:** Calendar year 1997-98 Draco is now 17 and in his final year while Rose is 12 and in her second year. Tric is 15 and in her second year of highschool, 10th grade, equivalent of Hogwarts fifth year if she had been magical.

**Tric runs away the second time:** Easter break, thus in April 1998, she is 16 now, Rose is 12, Draco is 17 (he'll be 18 in two months). Although a bit ahead of schedule Draco and Tric rent their apartment at this time and she lives there alone while he finishes Hogwarts, she continues going to school as well.

**Draco leaves Wizarding world: **Mid June 1998 after Newts and graduation are over, he is now 18, Draco tricks Blaise into using a mysterious spell to turn Draco into a Muggle. Draco then goes to New York on an airplane. He dyes his hair, making sure he is spotted in NY and then secretly portkeys back to his and Tric's London flat as they had pre-planned. Fully disguising him in his Mark persona.

**Draco and Tric 'go to school together': **Summer of 1998 they attend a short 'tattoo artist certification' class together.

**Draco gets his first job:** Under his new name of Mark Willasin Draco gets his first job at the Parlor, although he dislikes it he is certified and so he spends his days giving other Muggles tattoos (with needles ugh, the idea of willingly being in pain for a prolonged period of time freaks him out).

**Mark is official and Draco 'dies':** September 3, 1998 Draco completes all official name change paperwork ect., and essentially severs all final ties (he thought) between Draco Malfoy and Mark Willasin. September 3 is dubbed Mark's official birthday. Draco's Gringotts will life-status changes to 'non-existent' because he didn't die but Draco Malfoy isn't living really anymore. Draco Malfoy's living portrait wakes up but is unable to leave his frame because Mark is still connected to his past life in some little way(s).

**Tric finishes her schooling:** while living with Mark Tric continues to take her high school level classes during the 1998-99 school year while also working at Draco's Den at night.

**Mark starts his own club:** Using some of the money he transferred from his wizard accounts into Muggle ones he starts up the Dragon's Den. A muggle club open every night, from 7pm-4am. Opens for the first time December 30, 1998.

**Tric gets a day job at the Parlor:** Summer of 1999, after she graduates high school a year early, she is 17. Tric is hired to be a tattoo artist at the Parlor and she continues to work here full time for at least the next year and a half.

**Harry defeats Voldemort for the final time:** May 2000

**Harry and friends visit the Dragon's Den club for the first time:** July 31, 2000

**Harry, Ron, Pansy, Blaise, and Hermione visit the Den:** August 17, 2000 it's the first time any of the magical characters (besides Rose, Evonne, and Draco) meet Tric.

**Tric visits her family for Rose's birthday:** August 18, 2000. Rose turns 15 and is about to enter her fifth year at Hogwarts.

**Golden Trio visits the club and meets Squirt(Rose):** August 18, 2000 they find out that Tric's younger sister is Rose Hill a soon to be fifth year Ravenclaw student who thinks Mark is a Muggle with no knowledge of the Wizarding world.

**Pansy and Harry go to France:** August 24, 2000

**Hermione follows Tric home:** 5am August 24, 2000. Ron, Blaise, and Hermione go to the club the evening of the 23rd polyjuiced as random Muggles and spend all night watching Tric before Hermione follows her home under Harry's invisibility cloak.

**Hermione, Ron, and Blaise go to Gringotts:** August 25, 2000

**Tric and Draco go to spa place:** August 26-27, 2000

**Pansy and Harry come back:** August 30, 2000, they spent a few days there contacting Evonne, arranging a meeting with her, and such before coming back.

**They meet Draco's portrait:** August 31, 2000, Harry, Pansy, and Blaise go to Malfoy Manor to try see if Draco's living portrait has woken-up (an indicator of his death) and discover that although it's been moving for the last two years it isn't really the Draco they remember. They suspect tampering of some sort.

**Harry and Co. go to Hogwarts:** September 1, 2000, they all followed Hermione to Hogwarts, she's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, to research in the library. That evening they get Rose Hill's memory of when she met Draco.

**Harry and Co. watch Rose's memory:** September 2, 2000, they all watch Rose Hill's memory of when she met Draco. Hermione waits until everyone leaves before questioning Dobby and looking through Draco's old research.

**Dobby brings Tric & Draco info:** September 2, 2000, while Draco and Tric are getting ready to eat (dinner or supper whatever, it's like 6pm) Dobby pops in with a copy of the book Hermione looked at and the info that Hermione has Draco's old research.

**Tric & Draco discuss stuff over lunch:** September 3, 2000, around noon they have lunch together and discuss what they think the wizarding gang has found. They discover something went wrong with Draco's living portrait and try to figure out what and why.

**Tric holds Draco's (Mark's) Birthday party at his club:** September 3, 2000, it's a Sunday night and Tric invites all the Muggle friends and acquaintances Draco and her have to his birthday celebration. They have a cake and Draco drinks a lot, most guests are gone by 1am.

**Harry, Pansy, and Blaise visit the Den again:** September 4, 2000, at almost 2am Harry & the 2 ex-Slytherins visit the club and have confrontations with Draco/Mark and Tric.

**Draco confronts portrait Malfoy & sleepwalks:** September 4, 2000, 5am Tric and Draco go back to their flat and head to bed. While fighting with the dream Malfoy Draco/Mark sleepwalks to the storage/linen closet from Tric's room.

**Tric plans to go to University/College:** Fall 2001


	15. Tebo Hunting Trail

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim Tric (and her family), the club, and 'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' by Willa LeFlonhg.

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 14: Tebo Hunting Trail

"Damn-it, I've got to work! Most of you might not have a job but I do. Harry I'm sure you can ask Albus to let you research this portrait thing in the Hogwarts library; I recall running across some information about those types of portraits when we were researching how to defeat -er, how to win the war. School starts in a few days and I have to get my curriculum together, organize my office hours schedule, plan homework help study groups, set-up my office and classroom, and millions of other tiny details that go along with doing my job properly between now and then," rushing around her flat as she ranted Hermione barely paused in her packing to kiss Ron as he walked in.

Levitating the fully packed boxes Ron moved them into a few stacks by the door and out of the way of her guests.

"No one forced you to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, Hermione. I'll just take them into the kitchen and make us some tea," ushering the others out of his fiancé's warpath Ron gestured for them to sit around the breakfast table. "She's just a bit upset that this Malfoy hunting mystery had her distracted so much that she's off track in her obsessive packing schedule."

"That's alright, not all of us inherited early when our parents were kissed for being Death Eaters," Pansy wryly remarked.

"My mother's still out there. Somewhere."

"Blaise your mother is off in Greece courting her fifth husband. You inherited years ago when your father died."

"Actually it's her sixth."

"Who would marry her after that many?" Ron looked incredulously at Blaise.

"Well my father was an old pureblood that her family made her marry and he actually died of old age, I think. Her second husband was an auror, died in the line of duty. The third cheated on her so, yeah, he's still out there broke and jobless. Uh, I think the fourth was one of the Death Eaters killed by You-Know-Who for failure to catch Potter a few years ago. Her fifth was rich and nice but stupid and blew himself up experimenting with potions. So she's got plenty of money and after each husband she added money to my account as well just to make sure I'm provided for. Besides five in twenty years isn't so bad, it's not like they all died," listing his mother's numerous conquests Blaise ended sounding a bit defensive.

"Blaise, the average lifespan of a wizard or witch is at least a hundred years. Four out of her five husbands died within the last twenty years. It _is_ pretty bad, she must attract bad luck like Harry," breezing in Hermione easily shot down his justification with her usual facts.

"Really Hermione? Nothing too bad or unlucky has happened around me for at least three months."

"You wouldn't call this mess trying to find Malfoy again unlucky? How about the fact that we keep getting turned in circles, or that we can't seem to find a clue that doesn't also contradict something we thought we knew before."

"Hey, that isn't my fault!"

"I never said it was, just that you seem to attract trouble. You all can come with me to Hogwarts tomorrow morning, you can look through the library while I set up my classroom. If I finish early I'll join you before the Welcoming Feast. I've got classes next week, so I'm going to have to stop focusing so much time on the search. Ron should concentrate more of his efforts on his training as well." Turning Hermione gave her fiancé a reprimanding look which he replied to with a sheepish grin.

"Perhaps Severus would have some free time to talk to us about Draco. He was his godfather you know."

"Pansy only you Slytherins could possibly get away with calling Snape by his first name and I doubt he'd talk to me about Draco either."

"Actually Harry, he's allowed me to call him Severus now that we're working together."

"And Draco used to call him Sev outside of the classroom."

"I guess Malfoy was braver than I thought," joked Ron.

* * *

The next morning was a novel experience; apparating into Hogsmeade instead of taking the train the five searchers arrived at Hogwarts as visitors, and one teacher, instead of students. Walking across the grounds to the castle with Hermione's belongings floating along behind they made an odd procession. Dumbledore met his former students in the entryway and led Hermione off to her rooms after quickly granting the rest of the group free reign of the library.

"I've found that when looking for memories going to the people who experienced them is much more productive than searching through books," he told them before shooing them on their way.

"We already tried talking to Draco's portrait and he didn't even remember us, that advice is useless," Blaise huffily muttered once Dumbledore was out of sight.

"Maybe we need to find someone else with his memories. Dumbledore's always steered us in the right direction before," defended Harry.

"Who else would have Draco's memories?" Pansy demanded of him.

"How about other people who experienced stuff with him, we could ask to see their memories and piece together what happened from there."

"So Dumbledore was telling us to visit Snape before the library," exclaimed Ron, excited that he had solved their dilemma.

"Ugh, goodbye hope, here comes Snape," groaned Harry before he turned and headed back down the stairs towards the dungeons. Snickering the rest of the group followed him.

* * *

"You would like me to believe that you four are working together to find my godson, and that the two of you who have never been friendly with him are doing so with no ulterior motives," Snape skeptically asked the group that stood before him in his office.

"Well, yeah. We're Gryffindors, we don't do 'ulterior motives' and Blaise and Pansy are his friends." Ron obviously hadn't gotten used to being friendly with Slytherins since his not so subtle, but most likely unintentional, jab at them earned him glares from almost every other person in the room. Harry looked pained, as if he was embarrassed and possibly regretted bringing Ron along.

"Clearly your intellect hasn't improved in the last two years. I'm afraid you'll never be able to find my godson with your current mental attitude. He was after all one of the Slytherins with the most 'ulterior motives' I've ever had the pleasure of teaching. If he hadn't wanted you to I doubt you could have even gotten this far," Snape smugly replied.

"So you're saying he's leading us around on some sort of Demiguise hunt. Is he watching us? I'm pretty sure no one could who isn't invited can get into Hermione's flat. Maybe he could get into Parkinson Manor, sine he grew-up knowing Pansy, but lately we've done most our planning at Hermione's," demanded Ron in a slightly paranoid way.

"He isn't watching you; you're following the trail he left for you to follow. No, you're closer to hunting a Tebo with a Sphinx as a guide."

"A what?"

"Harry, a Tebo is a grey warthog that can turn invisible and unlike a Demiguise is not harmless. A Sphinx is-"

"Blaise I know what a Sphinx is. I faced one during that stupid tournament." Turning his attention back to Snape he confronted their ex-teacher. "We're on a hunt for a dangerous invisible creature, lead by another dangerous creature who only gives clues out in riddles and mauls you if you get them wrong, wonderful. Why don't you share your clues with us and we'll go puzzle them out in the library while trying not to get injured."

"Surely you don't think you're the only ones on this hunt?" Snape carefully straightened a stack of papers on his desk, looking for all the galleons in the world as if he was paying only minimal attention to Harry's response.

"No, but depending on who else is the prize will still be there for second place." Shifting his stance Harry settled into a less tensed position.

"What if your opposition has already found what you seek?" leaning forward Snape fiddled with his quill, before abruptly slashing through an unfortunate line of text.

"Then we find our opponents, and take it back." Harry began casually twirling his wand as he spoke.

"And if it's gone?" Snape mildly countered as he placed a blank piece of parchment on top of the stack.

"We find closure and get revenge." Harry stopped his twirling with his wand at the ready, the handle resting in his palm. By this point in their banter Ron was looking confused while Pansy and Blaise were nodding along with determined looks on their faces. Snape seemed to have found the answer he was looking for though and he relaxed minutely before responding to Harry again.

"Very well. I will give you advice and a name. And the knowledge that there are others who have reached much further in your hunt already." Pausing he carefully cleaned off his quill and closed his inkwell before focusing on the group before him. "Rose Hill, not because of how she knew Draco, although they did know each other, but because of who she introduced him to. I think only his first meeting with her is at all important. Apparently bumping into someone in the library can change the course of the future after all. I do not approve of all my godson's choices, but his choices concerning her may have saved many lives and can be forgiven despite his original intentions." Waving his hand dismissingly he motioned for them to leave, refusing to speak to them any further. As Harry was pulling the door shut behind them he heard Snape call out one last piece of advice.

"You might be interested in reading _'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' by Willa LeFlonhg_, found in the restricted section of Hogwarts Library due to some of the more gruesome descriptions included."

* * *

"Come on Harry. What was Snape talking about in there? More importantly how did you get him to spill all of a sudden?" Ron whined to his friend as they walked down the hall to the library.

"Didn't you tell us 'I'm not that stupid' quite recently Ronald, or has that changed?" Pansy smirked at the only member of the group who hadn't followed Harry's banter with their old potions professor.

"Look, Pansy, I'm much better at taking time to analyze situations and think plans through. Deciphering cryptic witty banter on the spot is not one of my strengths, there's all kinds of smartness out there."

"Smartness?"

"It's a real word, and-"

"Ron! He was trying to see whether or not I was willing to leave Draco be where he was. He wanted to know what I'd do if someone else has already found Draco. And what I would do if that someone wasn't looking for him to congratulate him. Aside from that he also told us that he's already found out a ton more than we have and that we need to think more like a tricky Slytherin with selfish motives if we ever want to find Draco."

"He could have just said that, instead of talking at us in riddles," muttered Ron as the group chose a table near the bookshelves but still within view of the library entrance incase Hermione arrived.

"But then he wouldn't be the head of Slytherin," Pansy cheerily replied.

"Yeah, I'm gonna head over to the restricted section. There's a gruesome book I'd like to check out." Wandering distractedly over in the direction of the restricted books Harry didn't notice the odd looks the other three researchers were giving him.

"Well, while he's off reading that book, I don't want to know why, we should look up everything about living portraits we can find. We should also find out if we could interview Rose Hill about Draco, Severus is the third person to mention her if you count Draco's will. She'll be arriving for the welcoming feast tonight with the rest of the students, maybe we can catch her before she heads up to the Ravenclaw dorms." After the stunned silence in response to Harry's weird comment Blaise took control of the situation and they started their research.

* * *

**AN:** If you don't own a copy of _**'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them'**_ you should. It's a great (hilarious) read and gives you tons of ideas. In it both the **Sphinx** and the **Tebo** are classified with the _**XXXX-Dangerous**_ specification and a Tebo is described as: _**'The Tebo is an ash-coloured warthog found in Congo and Zaire. It has the power of invisibility, making it difficult to evade or catch, and it is very dangerous. Tebo hide is highly prized by wizards for protective shields and clothing.'**_

Yes, I know that mishaps, mistakes, and with are all spelled wrong in the book title, it's on purpose, and yes her name is 'will-I-live-long' slurred together.

I had almost the whole chapter written, before chapter 12 even, but it keeps getting pushed back by various other people and events that feel they are more important. This was a short 'go to Hogwarts, grab a book, and get Rose's memory of how she and Tric first met Draco' intro before the memory was played out in detail but it kept growing so we're stuck waiting for the memory for the next chapter, maybe. Snape pushed in and demanded real screen time, claimed he would help them out. Hermione had a fit because I hadn't told her about her new job ahead of time, but I did know she was working there since around chapter 8 so this isn't just a 'quickly insert smart girl into teaching job' ploy. Dumbledore wanted to pop-up and be cryptic with his twinkling eyes. It was an awful rebellion that wasn't supposed to happen. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I will make a vow to finish this entire story before 3-15-11 passes because I hate waiting for a story, once I had to wait over 6 years for one really good story's end (web comic though), some stories I'm still waiting for, but never shall I make my readers wait more than a year for the end. I will work harder, pinky swear.

**ixamxeverywhere: **That you gave me two reviews in a row was so nice, thanks. I'm glad you thought my writing was good enough to get such praise, while I've gotten some 'love the story' reviews nobody's said they love me before (at least not in that context). Portrait Draco is all the bad about Draco concentrated: when he became Mark he categorized all the bad things he'd done in the past as Draco Malfoy's actions and not really his own anymore, sort of turning over a new leaf in his mind, but these bad thoughts reacted with the unique magic of the living portrait and his own magic (more on that later) to create an almost separate evil Draco persona.

**SLNS: **I am leaning towards agreeing with you, and thank you for the suggestion. I don't see Mark/Draco being able to contact Harry without magic or an owl but it is a good idea, I started out thinking he would have a 'confront his inner demon(s)' thing while the magical gang closed in on him but who knows.

**beautifulyellowflame: **Your encouraging words inspired me so much. I am looking forward to writing their interactions both within the current groups and when they finally go head to head, the whole end confrontation is going to be so tough yet fun to write.

**Marie-Ruth: **Yea, reviews! Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked the chapter.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form, only .0033% of my readers have ever reviewed in any way, probably less considering how many people reviewed more than once. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get, and I haven't gotten that many negative reviews. I'm so amazed I haven't gotten any flames yet (besides verbal ones from my best friend but that's what she's there for). Tell me what you guys think should happen and I will take it into consideration.


	16. Of Lifesaving Pastries

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 15: Of Lifesaving Pastries

"I can't believe you're still here, the Welcome Feast was last night! Classes start on Monday, and school is officially in session. Don't you people have lives," growled out a frustrated Hermione. That the other four had come back to bother her at Hogwarts less than twenty-four hours after they left ticked Hermione off and had pushed her mood from mildly annoyed to ready-to-mangle. Students had barely calmed down from the excitement of seeing Harry Potter at the Feast, now she'd be stuck with his adoring fans quizzing her about him for weeks.

"But we got Rose Hill's memory of when she first met Draco, remember the advice Dumbledore and Severus gave us, and we wanted to look at it together," Pansy gushed out in an almost pitifully hopeful manner.

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, to let them know how put upon she was, Hermione relented, "Fine. We can watch it, but if we find anything interesting you three need to investigate without Ron, or me. The two of us have actual responsibilities."

"Thanks, 'Mione," grinning excitedly at her Harry placed the pensive in the center of the table and they all leaned in.

* * *

Landing in the nearly deserted Hogwarts library the group could tell it was winter from the snow covered grounds displayed through the windows. A sharp gasp brought their attention to Hermione who was, as they all turned to see, staring at a younger version of her self busily studying away. She walked over gingerly and peered at the essay the memory version of her was writing.

"This is from sixth year. Around the beginning of winter holidays maybe, probably before Christmas because I always try to finish all my work before then so I can enjoy the festivities and this looks like I'm just doing my final re-checking," she called out.

As she started back towards the group a small girl walked through them. She looked drastically different, amazing what almost four years could do to a teen, but was still recognizable as Rose Hill. Most significantly she was wearing Ravenclaw robes, carrying a letter, and looking as if she would bust into tears any moment, just as she had described to Harry, Ron, Pansy, and Blaise the night before. All five of the Malfoy hunters followed her through the library, deep into the farthest stacks near the back, watching quietly as she found the bookcase she must have been looking for, collapsed into a ball beneath it and proceeded to weep.

Awkwardly Ron broke the silence. "Erm-, not that watching a little girl cry is something to just ignore but how is this leading us to Malf-"

"Shh, Ronald this is right where Draco used to study. His table should be right around this corner," Pansy led the group to the end of the bookcase and leaned around the edge. "See, he's right there."

_Sure enough Draco Malfoy, of their sixth year, was sitting at a small table surrounded by books and parchment. He seemed to be furiously researching something and his face was growing more and more annoyed with each passing second. Suddenly slapping down his quill he got up and stalked over towards the invisible watchers muttering, something about how he was running out of time, all the way. Turning the corner he froze to take in the scene._

_In barely an instant a myriad of emotions flashed across his face, shame, guilt, and possibly even remorse, before his features smoothed out into an impressively blank mask. Slipping quietly forward he tilted his head and, they could all tell, read her letter without Rose noticing. When he stepped back a he had an odd look on his face that none of the old Gryffindors could decipher. Sneaking quietly he arranged himself to look as if he had just turned the corner and clearing his throat he made his presence known._

"_Pardon me, but I overheard you crying and I was hoping I could solve the problem." His entire manner spoke of perfect gentlemanly respect and a seemingly sincere wish to help. As Rose uncurled his gaze flicked down to her house crest._

"_S-sorry, I'll - *sniffle* - go s-somewhere else," the Ravenclaw nervously grabbed at her belongings and started to get up when she saw who she had disturbed. Rolling his eyes Draco grabbed her sleeve and pulled her back to his table. Sitting her in a chair he fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. As she rapidly wiped her eyes he distracted her._

"_Why is it that you people are still running from me. I haven't done anything really mean to a first year in over a month." He paused a moment as if to consider this. "It might have been only three weeks but who really counts that kind of thing," he made his complaint with a small smile so she would know he was joking. _Shock covered the faces of three of the viewers.

"Did he just make fun of himself?" Ron gaped.

"Ssshhhh!" four voices hissed back at him. They all went back to observing the exchange with increasingly dedicated attention.

"_Er, you probably don't want to talk to me. I'm not a pureblood," she timidly offered him his handkerchief back._

"_I already knew that." Waving his wand he cleaned and dried the cloth before neatly folding it and placing it back in his pocket. "Still, as long as you promise not to tell anyone about it I'll help you out. I have to keep up the right reputation after all."_

"_What would you do to help me if I told you Death Eaters had killed my parents?" Showing a bit of backbone she shot back a question that revealed her mistrust._

"_I would suggest you look into improving your skills in lying. I could offer you lessons if you'd like. And then I would offer my services in tracking down missing sisters," came his smug response._

"_You read my letter!" Her eyes had grown watery at the mention of her absent sister but impressively she still managed to glare at him._

"_Yes, I had to make sure that you weren't having a problem with Death Eaters before I made my presence known. I'm sure you wouldn't have been nearly as welcoming to someone like me if that had been the case." As he spoke an almost imperceptible sneer crossed his face when he said 'someone like me,' Rose didn't appear to notice but Draco's old friends caught his change of expression._

"_I might be able to forgive you if you find her for me," boldly stated the first year._

"_Then by all means allow me to explain a handy spell I can use that's, luckily for you, never been officially declared illegal." Giving her a playfully wicked grin he proceeded to explain that he could use a spell to track her sister but since he neither knew Patricia well or had any possessions belonging to her he would most likely have to track her through Rose's blood. _

"_Unless you have something she's treasured for years or maybe some of her hair or something else attuned to her we'd have to use your blood. Blood because, well it's a more potent magical tie between people, since you aren't your sister I can't just use your hair I need something with a stronger connection to her." He gave her an apologetic look. "It's only a few drops. Spells like this are used sometimes to find runaways and kidnapping victims. It really wouldn't affect you at all."_

"_Why should I trust you? I know there're all kinds of Dark Magic you could use with 'only a few' drops of my blood. How do I know you don't have some other motive for helping me?"_ At this point Ron was quietly cheering her on, warning her not to trust a Malfoy, and alternatively ranting about Malfoy being and evil git using Blood Magic that was all Dark, or some deep shade of grey.

"_My dear young Ravenclaw you would be unworthy of your house if you didn't suspect a Slytherin such as myself of ulterior motives. But," here he slid off his chair and knelt formally in front of her chair, "I, Draco Malfoy, will swear to you, Rose, a Wizard's Oath on my magic that I don't intend to ever harm either your sister, Patricia, or yourself, and that I will only use your blood to aid in finding your sister. While I might have my own reasons for helping you rest assured that none of them will bring harm to you. May my own life be forfeit if I break this vow."_

"Bloo-" Hermione's hand clamped over Ron's mouth before he could interrupt any further.

"_Uh, fine, I, Rose Hill, accept your Wizard's Oath Draco," she hesitantly answered back. As the magic of the Oath settled into place Draco leaned back and observed her for a few moments without blinking._

"_I don't think you realize just how significant a Wizard's Oath is in pureblood culture," he commented lightly. When she blushed and mumbled something about maybe just getting the jist of it having read about it somewhere, he laughed. "I think I like that you didn't make an event of it." Standing he offered his hand to her, "we'd be better off doing this in Hogsmeade. I'll cast a Disillusionment charm on you so you can get off the grounds with me."_

"_Sure, let me pack my stuff a bit more neatly. I was in a bit of a hurry earlier," smiling she subtly reminded him of her earlier attempt to run from him while also giving him a chance to pack-up his own books._

"_Hm, I have an awful amount of books. I can't very well carry them all to Hogsmeade and back with us. I don't want to just leave them here, I've already checked them out," thinking aloud as Rose repacked her school bag Draco suddenly seemed to have an idea. "He's perfect! Dobby?" _To everyone's, even the memory Rose's, amazement Dobby, the house elf Harry himself had freed from the Malfoy family years ago, popped silently into the library.

"_W-what is it?" Rose asked while pointing a shaking finger at Dobby._

"_Dobby is a House Elf Miss. Dobby is a free elf. Dobby works here at Hogwarts cleaning and such. Dobby works for pay, Miss. Dobby helps his friends Mister Harry Potter Sir and his Wheezy and Mister Draco sometimes too," bobbing his head in agreement with himself Dobby turned to Draco questioningly. "Does Mister Draco need more help with his freedom project?" At Dobby's comment Draco's face almost lit-up with passion for the mentioned subject._

"_Not too much, I'm still researching it, I'm sure there's a solution here somewhere. I hadn't made as much progress as I'd like but I've had a breakthrough, then I found Rose here. Her sister is missing and we're going to find her. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind moving these books back to my room so I won't have to lug them all to Hogsmeade with me," slowly, as he spoke to Dobby, his face and tone of voice had slid into a more relaxed state._

"_Of course Mister Draco, being a free elf is most important. Dobby would love to help Mister Draco's freedom project. Everyone deserves socks, Miss Hermione Granger says." Leaning in closer to whisper to Draco in a voice that the avid listeners barely caught he continued, "does Mister Draco want our talking to be tomorrow night if he is doing big magic today?"_

"_No, it's Saturday night, there's no need to break tradition. We don't have much longer you know," he murmured back in a tone just as low. Grinning even wider than before Dobby nodded and wiggled his ears in a conspiring way before bowing to Rose and disappearing with Draco's books._

"_Interesting," Rose stated making Draco jump as if he'd forgotten her presence._

"_Sorry, he used to be my father's elf, now I'd say he's as close to a friend as he's willing to be. He's over calling me 'Master' but I can't get him to drop the 'Mister' thing. House Elves are interesting creatures. You might want to look them up some time, there are over a hundred or so working at Hogwarts alone you know," calming down Draco turned back to Rose and cast the Disillusionment charm on her. _Harry, Hermione, Ron, Blaise and Pansy could see her blurry outline, probably because it was her memory, but Draco appeared to be unable to see her.

"_I'm going to apologize in advance for anything I say to anyone we pass in the halls, reputation to keep and all that."_

"_Sure," murmured Rose as she followed Draco out through the bookshelves. Just before they stepped into the open near the entrance of the library Draco turned a corner and bumped headlong into memory Hermione. Both went staggering, grabbing the nearest shelves to keep upright._

"_Watch where you're going," pausing his eyes flicked in the general direction of Rose before he continued, "mudblood, or has hanging out with Potter impaired your vision too?" Draco sneered impressively at her._

"_Maybe if you didn't keep your nasty little nose stuck so far up in the air all the time you would have seen me standing here, Ferret-Face," huffed Hermione._

"_Hmph," sniffed Draco as he swept past her._ The five observers followed Draco and Rose out of the library, with Ron fuming and periodically attempting to hex and/or hit Draco. _Once the library doors closed behind the group Rose, still invisible to Draco, punched him in the arm._

"_Ow," exclaimed Draco, rubbing his arm where she had hit it. "What was that for? I thought we talked about the insulting other people thing I've got going."_

"_You didn't have to use the m-word. If you had to insult her you could have just said something about, um, her looks, or- or maybe called her a book-lover or something. Anything would've been better than calling her _that_," Rose hissed out in an offended tone._

"_No, I don't want to insult _her_. Calling her the 'm-word,' as you so delicately put it, makes me sound like an ignorant pureblood supremacist, she doesn't actually take that kind of insult to heart anymore. If I insult her specifically there's a chance that I could hurt her feelings or something. This way I don't have to make any slurs at Hermione Granger as a person, besides I'm just as much a bookworm as her lately, her teeth have been perfect for years, and she's managed to tame her hair so I can't really call it bushy anymore. There's not much about her that lends itself to easy insults, and I do try not to make personal comments to anyone at all anymore," explained Draco sullenly. They continued on in silence until they left the castle and started crossing the grounds._

"_I guess you might have a point. But don't ever call me that, okay." Rose gave Draco a slight warning push, one that didn't knock him off balance at all and really only let him know she was still there._

"_As you wish, Miss Rose I shall endeavor to ignore you whenever we cross paths in the future," joked Draco in a low voice, being careful to not draw attention to the fact that he was seemingly talking to himself. Rose lasted until they reached Hogsmeade before breaking the silence that had settled over them._

"_I'd prefer being ignored to being terrorized, but we might bump into each other in the library again, you know when we're both studying alone, and it would be nice if we could stay civil." Although still fuzzy from the Disillusionment charm the group following her could see her shoulders were hunched in a half timid, half protective, stance like she was waiting to be hit or rejected. A startled look crossed Draco's face at her comment._

"_Of course, I'm almost always at that table. Whenever you'd like to visit is fine, my friends usually don't come with me or get bored after a bit. I could give you those lying lessons we discussed earlier." Smirking again Draco led her in a round about path to the Shrieking Shack, pulled out a few loose boards covering the back door, and motioned for her to enter. "We can do the spell in here and you can wait here while I find Patricia." Waving his wand he undid the Disillusionment charm and rendered her completely visible again. "I've got a bunch of 'emergency' portkeys that the ministry can't track so I can bring her back here before she goes to your parents, that way you two can visit for a while."_

"_Alright, thanks. Let's do this." So they did. There was a complex spell that seemed to require an intense amount of concentration on Draco's part and a small amount of blood on Rose's. Soon Draco's eyes went a bit unfocused and he nodded distractedly to Rose before leaving._

_

* * *

_

The scene went dark momentarily before Harry, Blaise, Hermione, Pansy, and Ron found themselves back in the same room this time with Rose pacing nervously and periodically casting glances at the (magical) watch she had on her wrist.

* * *

_Opening the door quietly Draco stepped in, held it open for a moment, and closed it again before, in a slightly unsteady whisper, canceling the spell that had been hiding the girl he'd brought back from their view. _

Her face was relatively recognizable as the girl Tric from the Dragon's Den club of the future, if you took away a little 'baby fat'. Wearing worn jeans and a light purple jacket she looked like an average young muggle. She faintly resembled Rose in features, they both had the same long dark hair, but what convinced the viewers that she was the missing Patricia was how she greeted Rose.

_The sisters ran to embrace each other as Draco sunk down to the floor, leaning against the wall the whole time._

Only the five of Draco's year mates were watching him close enough to catch a glimpse of his blood soaked shirt as he carefully rearranged his robes to fully cover it. Pansy reacted almost violently when she tried to both find and fix his wound and mother him at the same time, while being able to do neither.

_Clearing his throat Draco eventually interrupted the sisters' catching-up. "Although this is touching I've got to bring Patricia back sometime before anyone at Hogwarts notices either of us is missing. I might be allowed to visit Hogsmeade as I'm a sixth year but Rose isn't and too many people are watching me because of my family's connections for me not to have been missed, someone's bound to come looking for me soon. Potter and friends have been stalking me all year trying to find out what my next nefarious plot is," his bleak tone gave away that Draco was bothered by his watchers more than he cared to admit._

"_Well I guess that's true. You can't take hours this time though," Rose sighed out in her disappointment._

"_I barely took an hour! Tracking you sister was harder than it looked; all I had to follow was a red line and a pulling sensation, I'd like to see you do better," complained the older wizard._

"_Yes, well, I was worried about you two," she shot back._

"_Hey, we're both fine. No harm done to anyone." Patricia shot an uneasy look at Draco as she said this. "There I was, feeling sorry for myself because my family didn't love me anymore, sitting on a park bench in the middle of London when along comes this charming young wizard telling me he found my sister bawling because I was missing. Being the perfect gentleman that I'm sure he is he's convinced me to go back and even arranged for us to have a short visit too." Winking at her sister she continued in a stage whisper, "he's a keeper, if you don't get him first I'll have to go after him." Both Rose and Draco blushed at her comment, although Rose's was much more noticeable._

"_Good luck with that," drawled out Draco in an overly superior tone, his small smile giving away his amusement. "Unfortunately I'm both already engaged and you're really not my type."_

"_Oh, so I won't be calling you 'Honey Buns' or 'Love Muffin' anytime soon then?" pouted out Patricia dramatically._

_Grimacing Draco shot her down with, "Malfoy's don't get called ridiculous pet names. Especially ones involving some form of pastry."_

"_Alright, alright. We can go back now," Patricia dramatically conceded. Turning to give her sister one last hug and goodbye she bent down by Draco, carefully offering him a hand and hauling him up off the floor._

As the two left in a whirl of a portkey the five unseen observers could see that she was deliberately standing so Draco could lean some of his weight on her without being too obvious about it. Clearly she knew he was hurt, most likely knew how, but was keeping it from her sister. Here the memory ended, tossing them back out into Hermione's quarters at the present day Hogwarts.

* * *

"I think we need to talk to Tric, more openly. Based on how they acted she's probably protecting Draco from Mark and other people who hate the Malfoys. It's unlikely she'd turn on someone who looked after her sister, and her, like that. She said she was close to Mark and went to school with him, maybe she just has a conflict of interest because she's friends with two people who hate each other or something." Hermione rationalized what they knew about Tric with what they had just seen.

"I want to know how he knew Dobby, and why Dobby was so willing to help him out. Was he working on some kind of 'free the House Elves' project with him?" Harry puzzled out another clue that seemed to be bothering all of them, given the nods of agreement he'd just gotten.

"He never mentioned House Elves, ever. I do wonder what he was doing with them," Pansy agreed with Harry.

Ron stood and summed up their feelings, simultaneously wrapping up the moment of contemplation, with a simple sentence, "So, to quote Rose, lets do this." And so they did.

* * *

**AN:** Wow, Dobby? Yeah I don't know where he came from. He was just there in the library talking to Draco and then I stopped typing and was like, 'What? When did this happen?' and went to delete it but I thought about it and realized it added to my plot in the right direction so I let him stay. The calling Hermione a mudblood scene was originally a related to the later scene where Draco comes back with Tric injured and he was going to sort of observe his blood in a cynical manner and say something like her blood was probably pure-er than his because his family's so steeped in Dark Arts filth and she & Rose were innocent light-siders. But he wanted to hide his injury from the innocent 11 year-old Rose and wouldn't let me. I left it there anyway. Sorry this is so long but I had trouble ending it even here, I kinda want them to have more dialogue at the end, maybe even with Dobby at Hogwarts but really long chapters aren't my style and I couldn't do it. (What is the life-span of a House Elf anyways? And why aren't they in my _**'Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them'**_ book? What category do they fall under, magical humanoids?)

Sorry for all the italics but I made all the pensive memories of the past chapters be in italics so I couldn't change now even if it hurts your eyes, or pisses you off.

**ixamxeverywhere:** I've actually only heard references to Dorian Grey before. Doesn't he have his portrait age for him so he'll never die or something? I'd like to acknowledge all my reviewers specifically because you spent time writing me a review so you deserve to know how much it means to me, a lot. So thank you for yet another review.

**Moose on mars:** Thanks; I tried to make this a piece with some serious undertones but mostly a lot of comedy to make it an interesting read. Especially the relationship between Draco/Mark and Tric, that's almost solid sarcastic humor. Without the fun bits nobody would read a story (at least I would miss them), and I'm really not cut out to write real angst as it depresses me too much.

**jo: **You do make a good point, since I don't think they could ever have a physical fight 'evil Draco' and 'Mark/Draco' are gonna have to duke it out mentally. To embrace the dark side or try to kill it, that is the question. Thank you for your review.

**Marie-Ruth: **Reviews? You leave me so many. Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked the chapter, again, it's good to know you're not getting bored with my writing.

**123:** Two Draco's yes, but are they really that separate? It's like a ying-yang, without one half you have a funny shaped teardrop with a spot in it but together they make a unique design/symbol. I'll have to see how they want to end it. Your encouragement is most welcome, thank you for the review.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Tell me what you guys think should happen and I will always take it into consideration.


	17. Finding His Socks

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim _'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' _by Willa LeFlonhg, the living portrait idea specifics (although it is based a lot on Mrs. Black's), Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 16: Finding His Socks

Hermione had a sneaking suspicion about this hunt for Draco Malfoy. If she was right the boy had brilliantly set them up for failure on this hunt. If she was wrong, well she didn't want to be wrong. So she volunteered to talk to Dobby as he still worked at Hogwarts, she offered to do further research, and she told them to bugger off while she worked. They'd question Tric sometime soon but she was hoping that Tric was going to remain good at misleading them, after all if she was right it might be better for them not to find Draco _or_ to confront Mark. First things first, she needed to borrow _'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' _by Willa LeFlonhg from the library. Then she could talk to Dobby about Draco's 'freedom project' and their weekly chats. Dobby's answers could be the deciding factor for her on whether or not to continue the search.

It had started innocently enough; help her best friend find, apologize to, and befriend their one time rival because, let's face it, Harry was obsessed. It evolved into a possible murder and an urge to find the truth and bring about justice. But now, if she was right, it couldn't end well, not with the way Draco's mind had to have been messed with to get his portrait moving around.

Mark wouldn't welcome them back into his life, he might not even consciously know who any of them were. So it ended with emotional trauma, damaged lives, and hurt feelings all around, if she was right. Unfortunately she usually was. No, if Draco was Mark and he had a multiple personality disorder they could break his mind and ruin his life by confronting him, or force him into another personality altogether, so it was best if they left him alone. But only if she was right, and oh how she wished she wasn't, just this once.

* * *

Sneaking into the kitchens felt wrong as a teacher, but she didn't want the students knowing where it was and sneaking in themselves. Regardless of how many rules she'd ended up breaking as a student she was still determined to be a stern disciplinarian with anyone she caught breaking them, although she would be fair and try to listen to each side of the story. Yes, that incident with Norbert and the whole losing 150 house points _and_ getting detention all in one night still bothered her. Back to the matter at hand she needed to talk to Dobby. Hopefully he'd be there as all the other House Elves at Hogwarts refused to come within fifty feet of her since the middle of her seventh year. They seemed to think she was going to throw clothes at them, or hold them down and force them to wear socks.

Professor Hermione Granger pulled open the kitchen portrait and stepped over the threshold. Immediately there was a rush to the opposite wall of the room where all the House Elves stood eyeing her suspiciously. Luckily Dobby was left standing in the middle of the room, he had been helping clear the tables from lunch.

"Oh, Dobby! You're just the person I wanted to see. I was hoping we could talk." All the other occupants of the room sighed in relief and relaxed enough to tentatively resume their business while still leaving a wide circle of no-man's land around her.

"Miss Hermione Granger would like to talk to Dobby?" tearing up Dobby wrung his hands together. "Dobby has missed talking with wizard friends, most Elves think Dobby is still crazy, Miss. No one is wanting freedom at all." At this turn of conversation the elves hurried to add an additional ten foot radius around the pair, as if talking about it might cause them to catch said freedom from Dobby.

"Why don't you come talk with me in my quarters, Dobby. We should let your colleagues get back to work without us distracting them," Hermione loudly delivered her suggestion so as to make sure the other elves would know she wasn't there to free them. This time. Almost before she had closed her mouth and received an affirmative nod from Dobby the elves had parted leaving a clear path to the exit, which now had a basket of food sitting beside it. It would seem they wouldn't even risk handing her food anymore, maybe sending them a box of hand knitted hats for Christmas last year really was overkill.

"Dobby would love to be talking with Miss Hermione. Just like when Dobby was talking with Dr-, with wizard friends." Although he covered his slip Hermione noticed and suspected he was about to say 'Draco.'

"Hmm, that's what I wanted to talk with you about." Leading him into her rooms Hermione insisted on spreading out the snacks the other elves had provided and sitting down before continuing their conversation. "Harry, Ron, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and myself have spent all our time and energy the last few months searching for Draco Malfoy. Now we thought we reached a dead end recently but after talking with Professors Snape and Dumbledore we asked Rose Hill about her first meeting with Draco. She gave us her memory to watch, and you were in it." Dobby seemed to grow more and more nervous as she continued, he was currently folding and refolding his hat in his hands.

"Now I've realized some things during our search that made me decide to approach you alone. Depending on what else I find I will keep anything you tell me a secret, especially if Draco doesn't want to be found. I wanted to hear from you what exactly you and Draco talked about on Saturday nights, when you started meeting and why you met with him, please." Hermione mentally crossed her fingers and gave Dobby her full attention.

"Oh, Miss Hermione is too kind. She mustn't find Draco, they'll take away his socks! Dobby helped him find his socks, Dobby still has writing of Draco's freedom project. Dobby met Draco again in his fifth year, Draco asked Dobby to help him, to talk and to listen." Smoothing out his hat, which was one of her hand knitted ones, he looked earnestly up at her. "Draco is free like Dobby. Now we are _equals_, Draco told Dobby. He told Dobby to stop calling him Master or Mister or Sir, just Draco. Dobby is just Dobby and Draco is just Draco. We are _friends_. You mustn't find him and bring him back. Dobby doesn't want to go back to the Malfoys and Draco doesn't either, they're Bad Wizards. We're free."

Although some, okay most, of what he'd said made little to no sense to her Hermione still got the general idea. Draco must have equated his becoming a Muggle to gaining freedom, Dobby in turn seemed to be under the impression that Draco was a House Elf, or something along those lines. Draco had befriended Dobby during their fifth year and they must have spoken often; Dobby helped Draco with his plan to 'escape' the Wizarding world and even had some of his plans written down.

"You are aware that Draco was a wizard right Dobby?"

"Oh, yes, but not anymore. Draco is a Muggle now. His freedom project worked," beamed Dobby. "He has his socks."

"What socks?"

"_His_ _socks_, he is being free, he has his socks. When he is not free he is not having his socks." Dobby looked askance at her as if she was the one speaking nonsense.

"Right, so, may I see the writing of the freedom project you two worked on?" She asked in her most persuasive tone.

"Yes, Dobby can get them. But Miss Hermione would please be giving them back, Dobby likes having them to think of Draco, and how we are friends." Popping abruptly out of her room Dobby was back within a moment holding a thin stack of parchment. "Dobby helped Draco practice, it was much fun and very important work. Dobby would like his writings back." Pausing a moment to perhaps remember their practice Dobby reluctlently handed the papers over.

"I promise to take good care of them, may I return them this evening after dinner? I'll leave them right here on the table and you can come by and pick them up whenever you'd like. I'll read them this afternoon."

"Yes, but please do not try to take away Draco's socks." Dobby nodded, his face covered with an uneasy expression. He seemed worried about Hermione's intentions.

"I won't. Thank you, Dobby," Hermione gently eased the elf out of her room so she could pursue the papers he had lent her.

* * *

On the parchments Draco, presumably, had recorded sections of text that he might have found in his research with his own comments and notes afterword.

''Myllar the Miserable was involved in a Wizards Duel in 1563 in which his opponent cast a semi-permanent magic cancelation charm upon him in an attempt to stop him from casting. The resulting spell caused a sort of 'black hole' of negative energy to surround Myllar the Miserable for the next seven weeks. During this time no magic cast by or around Myllar worked. The 'black hole' effect had a radius of around ten yards to begin with and decreased in size as time passed.' – This could be a useful effect to stop unwanted Wizards from taking me back but the amount of power it might take to pull off as a permanent spell would be impossible without the aid of many more people. If I only want to involve Blaise, at most, it needs to rely on some other power source. Also it might negate anti-muggle charms and I want those to work on me.'

Many such notes appeared in the stack and it wasn't until Hermione had read almost all the way through that she found anything to notable. Almost ready to give-up on the stack, as it was obviously a collection of Draco's rejected ideas and spells on how to get rid of his magic, she found a page that didn't have any research on it. The page was purely Draco's original writing.

'I've found what I think could be the perfect power source for the spell. Tric's latest letter explained batteries in much better detail, and I think I could make my magic serve as a self contained battery of sorts. Since I want to just cast the spell once and never have any contact with the wizarding world after that I'd need a way, other than re-casting it, to re-charge the spell. I could ask Dobby to help me practice, but I think that if I modify one of the more powerful magic containment spells and tie my magic into it as a constant power source I could potentially never have to renew the spell. My own magic would be constantly fueling the spell, so it would never come undone! The only problem I've found is how to undo it, not that I'd want to, without an intense amount of power from an outside wizard. I'm pretty sure the spell would need to be consensually cast because of the use of the subject's own magic as fuel. I'm not sure of the side effects though.'

He continued writing a few lines down the page in a different colored ink. It seemed he had done some experimentation and come back to the idea later. She'd have to ask Dobby if he remembered that.

'Modifying the spell wasn't too difficult, it only took me a little less than a month. I've got to hurry, NEWTs are only a few months away now. Dobby and I established that this could work, I've got the incantation written down and everything, but I'm a bit worried about the side effects. I can't very well turn someone else into a muggle for an extended period of time and see what happens to them. As far as we can tell there're no immediate side effects, I can't be too sure about years down the road though. I'm a bit worried that after being stuck in a self contained loop for years on end my magic would amplify or concentrate itself and end up breaking out. Even worse, if somehow I had to get someone to break or reverse the spell, not only would it require an immensely powerful witch or wizard, Dumbledore, Harry Potter, or maybe Voldemort, but my magic could potentially be changed. For good. I'll have no way of knowing if the confinement could have concentrated and increased my magical abilities, or conversely weakened them. The backlash of releasing the spell without my consent could kill me, and possibly anyone too close to me as well, there's even a small chance that even with my permission my magic could lash out upon being released and harm someone. It might be my best option so far but I'd really like to try and cut down on the uncertainties a bit more. Either way it looks like we've found my 'muggle making' spell, or as Dobby likes to put it we've found my socks.' There was nothing else written on the paper.

Setting the parchment down on the table Hermione pulled out _'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' _by Willa LeFlonhg, flipped it open to the section titled When Living Portraits Wake Early, and started reading.

'The only known instance where a wizard's Living Portrait woke before they died was when the witch in question had a severe accident, coupled with her multiple personality disorder, causing her psyche to believe that the identity present at the accident had died. That personality woke in the portrait and created havoc withe her family before a mind healer at the hospital discovered the cause of the portrait's movement.

Pennylope the Personable went through months of therapy withe her mind healer and it was eventually established that she had over six distinct identities residing in her body, excluding the deceased one. Rather than have this many portraits made her family paid for the experimental mind magic that would weld her mind back together, at a substantially lower cost. Unfortunately they had to commission a new living portrait for Pennylope as the magiks of the portrait were no longer compatible withe the 'new person' she became.'

The book only reaffirmed what she thought had happened. Draco Malfoy really was gone; even if Mark was biologically the same person he had to be a separate identity from Draco in order for the portrait to have woken up. Blaise and Pansy may have met other personalities of his, assuming they were all different facets of the same person, but the identity of Draco Malfoy no longer resided in that body. He probably wasn't fully aware of, if he even suspected, who he once was. That spell he must have made up could blow-up in their faces if they tried to confront him or bring back either his magic or his memories. She suspected Tric knew this and was protecting Draco, now Mark, from himself and his past.

Now she had to find a way to stop _her_ friends from pushing Tric's too far.

* * *

**AN:** Dobby kicks arse. He's so hiding something; I wonder how he got Draco's personal notes-to-self? Yeah it's all about Hermione again (she's had two whole chapters to her self now!). Sorry but she's the smart one who picks up on the details, it wouldn't be too in character for her to still be so clueless about Draco. No worries, she doesn't have the entire thing right yet and the house elves hate/fear her.

**ixamxeverywhere:** Harry's still got some subconscious blocks about Malfoy around. Remember that even though he's obsessed with him and now knows practically everything about how he wasn't who he acted like in public Harry was still willing to believe that portrait Draco was the real Draco. Yes, you're right, Dobby emphasizes with Draco; they were both under the strict thumb of the 'Bad Dark Wizard' Lucius Malfoy and Dobby got his freedom while Draco was still trying. Thank you for your continuingly dedicated reviews.

**Dark Oracle:** Hey, even if you haven't commented you must be one of my original viewers if you alerted this back in March, which was the month I started it! Thank you, I'm glad to know you think it's going in a good direction. I really see that betrayed little brat in the portrait too; during the dream he was outright taunting Mark for leaving him behind but he also practically told him he should try to un-separate them. He's bitter but he just needs love…or not. Thanks for the review.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Tell me what you guys think should happen and I will always take it into consideration.


	18. Before We Were Us

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim _'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' _by Willa LeFlonhg, the living portrait idea specifics (although it is based a lot on Mrs. Black's), Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 17: Before We Were Us

It was just before six, when Tric and Mark usually had dinner together before he headed off to his club, and the two friends were just about to sit down to dinner when a loud crack rang through their apartment. Mark dropped the carton of Chinese food he had been placing on the table to stare at the intruder.

"Oh my, it's adorable!" squealed Tric.

"Fuck that, it's magical and it's not supposed to be here," stated Mark slowly. "Something big must've happened, something involving Draco Malfoy."

"Yes! Mark is right. Dobby has come to warn his friends of the wizards wanting their socks," eagerly Dobby stepped over the pile of noodles and closer to Mark. "Miss Hermione Granger is asking for Draco's freedom writings. Dobby is giving them to her to read this afternoon. She is also reading a book, Dobby watched her. She is talking about Draco by herself and wanting to talk to Harry Potter's Wheezy. Dobby was wanting to help his friends Miss Hermione Granger, Mister Harry Potter, and his Wheezy but he was also wanting to help his other friends."

"He's actually closer to being _her_ 'Wheezy' now. They're engaged, right Tric?"

"Yeah, Rose told me, it was all over the wizarding headlines a few months ago. How'd you know?" Tric looked over at her roommate, puzzled.

"Someone told," his expression darkened as he remembered how he had learned the information. "Someone told… me, they told an old part of me at least." Frowning he turned back to the patiently waiting Dobby, "thank you for the warning. Do you know what book she was reading?"

"Dobby has brought it, Dobby thought you'd want to see it," placing the book, which he appeared to have pulled out of nowhere, on the table he proceeded to fidget. Giving a weak cough he continued embarrassedly, "Dobby kept Draco's writings to remember his friend. Dobby knows he wasn't supposed to have them. Dobby is very sorry but Draco was just throwing them away!"

"It's fine, just, how much of m-Draco's notes did you keep?"

"Almost all," raising big watery eyes to stare pleadingly at him Dobby looked too pathetically sorry not to forgive.

"It's okay. We just have to hope they don't come to the right conclusions. Thanks for the warning though. Would you mind coming to get the book in a few hours? I'm sure Tric would like to read it before you take it back." Carefully, without allowing the magical book to touch him, Mark started wiping away the spilled Chinese. "Do you have any idea what section of the book Hermione was reading?"

"Somewhere near the middle?"

"Alright, that's good to know. Um, in the future could you try to come here quietly, if you have to visit again? We are a couple of muggles living in a muggle neighborhood. That noise you made sounded way too close to a gunshot: someone might call the police." Dobby nodded vigorously and silently popped out of existence. Once the table was re-set and the two friends had sat down and started eating Tric asked the question she'd been forming since Dobby's departure.

"Don't you want to know what she's found about your plans?"

"Of course."

"Then why won't you even look at that book? Why'd you tell him _I'd_ read it before he took it back?" Giving him a pointed look she munched on a spring roll while waiting for him to answer.

"I-, you know I've avoided magic since I came here," sighed Mark.

"No, you haven't avoided it you've completely erased even the suggestion of it from your life. You won't tolerate my fantasy books, you're obsessed with religions that explain the mystical in non-magical ways, you won't even go with me to a fair where there _might_ be a muggle 'magician' performing, hell, the only thing in your life even remotely connected with anything magical is the Den and I had to force you not to change the name! You wouldn't even let me talk about _Rose_ near you until that group of Gryffindors walked into your club," burst out Tric, the topic obviously a sore one with her. Angrily she continued her tirade when he didn't deny any of her accusations. "We were partners. When we first met we agreed to exchange letters with information; you taught me about the Wizarding world and I taught you about the Muggle world. So we became friends eventually, you saved my life, I saved yours, but we haven't been all that equal lately. Our relationship was based on our mutual curiosity about the other's life and once you left yours you just locked it all away. What happened to sharing everything? What happened to runaways sticking together? You won't even tell me what your nightmares are about anymore. I share mine with you." Running out of breath Tric fell silent, her face still flushed with anger and tears gathering in her eyes.

"Tric, please. I, I think I made a mistake. You're like the little sister I never had and the only person who knows about both parts of my life but," placing his fork down he started massaging his temples. There was quiet for a minute as he considered his next words. "I've never told you everything. Selfish doesn't even begin to describe me. Leaving the Wizarding world was a way for me to forget who I was, a way to become the gentleman you seemed to think I was, and a way for me to get rid of the name Draco Malfoy. I don't think I can share everything with you, I don't want the one person who's always, unquestioningly, been on my side since we met to know what kind of a horrible person I am. I don't have anyone else left."

"_Draco_, I've known all about you for years. When you helped Rose, and me, she did two things: a. she became an expert on your past and everything else Draco Malfoy related, and b. she became your number one fan. We're sisters, we used to be closer than anyone, she shared all the stuff she knew about you with me. I'd write about my life and how boring it was and she'd write back about how her life was going and what she'd learned about Draco Malfoy lately," exasperated Tric rolled her eyes at him. "Hell, I think she once spent a paragraph outlining your favorite foods, why, and when you liked to eat them. Anything you did or said in public during your seven years at Hogwarts I'm well aware of. She even bribed some paintings, or something, to get information I'm sure you'd never release in public."

"Like what?" he cautiously asked.

"Like boxers or briefs, your toothpaste type, what you wore to bed, how you coughed up fur balls for days after being turned into a ferret, the fact that you aced muggle studies your last three years, and tons of other unimportant crap. I think she's more excited that Harry Potter is looking for you than that he won the war. We all know he never gives up."

"So, you know what happened fifth year?"

"Yeah, when you acted as that Umbitch lady's evil rule enforcer."

"You know what my father was training me to be, right?"

"Duh, a Death Eater," rolling her eyes at him Tric leaned back on two legs of her chair. "You even hinted at it."

"Don't you know what Death Eaters _do_."

"Really? How stupid do you think I am?"

"You're not but, I know all kinds of Dark magic, I've cast all of the Unforgivables before. I was, am, evil. I just, if you knew all that how could you stand me?" Self loathing covered his face as he stared down at his mostly untouched food.

"Do you remember the day you saved my life? You rushed into that alley, not knowing what besides me was around that corner, and got stabbed, for me. I know you hate blood and pain but you didn't leave me there. You illegally used magic, Dark spells from what they did to those guys, and risked yourself to save me. Maybe they were just going to take my stuff and leave but, well, I was a fourteen year old girl, _alone_, lost in London. It would have been so much worse even if I got away; where would I have gone, what would I have done, how would I have survived? You saved my life at the risk of your own. Even if you hadn't gotten hurt you used magic to find me, left the school campus and Hogsmeade when you weren't supposed to, and risked expulsion, getting your wand snapped, and maybe even Azkaban for using illegal Dark magic in front of muggles." Continuing her passion filled speech Tric failed to notice she'd leaned too far forward and her chair suddenly landed back on all four legs.

"Actions speak louder than words, right? Your actions showed me that you weren't just saving me because you felt sorry for my sister or because you made her a promise. Nowhere in that oath you made did you tell my sister you'd risk your life to save me, you didn't have to do any of that. All you had to do was use her blood only to find me. I know you weren't the Draco Malfoy you acted like in public, and I don't care that you've used Dark magic. That's what saved my life."

"When I saved your life I wasn't doing it for you, or even Rose, everything was calculated to benefit me. I was already planning on leaving, I just wanted to make sure I could blend well as a muggle. Rose was, I know she's told you what she thinks happened but, can I tell you the truth? Without any impassioned protests, 'cause this is the truth."

"Sure, but I reserve the right to correct your skewed views and smack you upside the head after."

"Okay, here goes. Around the twenty-second of December in 1996 someone was crying in the library. Usually you could assume that a young Ravenclaw couldn't find the book they wanted for an assignment but it was the winter holidays and there weren't too many students left. And the crying sounded far too much like heartbroken sobbing for that to be the case. Since the crier was so close to my usual table I couldn't just ignore them. Getting up I stalked around bookcase, I figured I'd solve their problem quickly or send them on their way so I could get back to work. I was running out of time, and hadn't gotten nearly close enough to finding a spell that could turn me into a Muggle and protect me from magic tuned to tracking me down.

So I turned the corner and saw a small girl was curled-up on the floor next to an open letter weeping. She was probably another first year with bad news from home; Death Eater attacks had been increasing lately. That thought made me feel ashamed, my father, and aunt, were out there killing my classmates' families and here I was annoyed by one of them crying. I was almost as bad as my family. I thought she probably wouldn't welcome my presence since my family's ties were common knowledge. But she hadn't noticed me yet so I risked a closer look at her letter. I don't know if she told you but it said this:

'Dear Rose,

We hope you're having a lovely holiday at Hogwarts. We'll send you your presents closer to Christmas. Please feel free to write to us if you need anything. You father still has some of the Wizarding money we changed this summer and I think we can order things with your owl. It's good to hear that you're enjoying your classes. I hope you've made a few friends there too; they're going to be your schoolmates for the next seven years after all.

Hearing about all the magic you're learning is wonderful. Patricia read all your letters hundreds of times. It is such a pity that she wasn't gifted like you. I believe she is jealous of you; she ran away yesterday and left us only a short note about how we ignore her and favor you. We alerted the police after the prescribed 24 hour missing person wait so don't worry I'm sure she'll turn up soon. She's probably just sulking at a schoolmate's house. Don't let her attitude ruin your holidays.

Love, Mum and Dad'

My first thought was _'Merlin, her parents sounded about as caring as my father. Which was not at all. But at least it wasn't another Death Eater incident.'_ Then I thought that if this Patricia girl wasn't dead, I could actually solve this problem relatively easily. This could be even more helpful than the afternoon of research I had originally planned would be. If I found Patricia I could convince her, or her sister Rose, to tell me about living in the muggle world. I was planning on using her -you- to learn how to blend in well enough to hide myself. So I made my presence known.

I said, "Pardon me, but I overheard you crying and I was hoping I could solve the problem." Yes, I could act gentlemanly if I wanted to, I just usually didn't want to. As the girl, Rose according to the letter, uncurled I noticed that my original assumption that she was in Ravenclaw was correct.

"S-sorry, I'll - *sniffle* - go s-somewhere else," the Ravenclaw nervously grabbed at her belongings and started to get up when she saw who she had disturbed. Rolling my eyes I dragged her back to my table. Sitting her in a chair lent her my handkerchief. As she rapidly wiped her eyes I talked to distract her, and gain some of her trust.

"Why is it that you people are still running from me. I haven't done anything really mean to a first year in over a month." I paused for a moment pretending to consider this. "It might have been only three weeks but who really counts that kind of thing," I made my complaint with a small smile so she would know I was joking. To gain someone's trust it is important to offer up sympathy or to seemingly even your status in the situation with self-detrimental comments or jokes, which is what I was doing. I would know; manipulating people with words was one of my favorite pastimes after all.

"Er, you probably don't want to talk to me. I'm not a pureblood," she told me as she gave me my handkerchief back.

"I already knew that." Waving my wand I cleaned and dried the cloth before neatly folding it and placing it back in my pocket. This showed her that I wasn't going to throw it away because a muggleborn had touched it, again a gesture to trick her into trusting me, and getting me what I wanted. "Still, as long as you promise not to tell anyone about it I'll help you. I have to keep up the right reputation after all." That was true, at the time keeping up the whole pureblood supremacist act was crucial.

"What would you do to help me if I told you Death Eaters had killed my parents?" she shot back at me.

"I would suggest you look into improving your skills in lying. I could offer you lessons if you'd like. And then I would offer my services in tracking down missing sisters." Here I had to get to the point because I didn't care for small talk with strangers, which she still was. Gauging the reactions of a someone you've just met is so much harder so I usually tried to avoid it, all my conversations those days were planned out by me and a part of the whole evil Malfoy thing, so I hated wasting time on it.

"You read my letter!" Here I was rolling my eyes at her in my head and saying duh, and other such insulting things.

"Yes, I had to make sure that you weren't having a problem with Death Eaters before I made my presence known. I'm sure you wouldn't have been nearly as welcoming to someone like me if that had been the case," was my response.

"I might be able to forgive you if you find her for me." Here I'd gotten her right where I wanted, I knew she was desperate to get her sister back and if her sister was a little kid or wasn't willing to write to me, I could tell I'd be able to get her to do just about anything in return.

"Then by all means allow me to explain a handy spell I can use that's, luckily for you, never been officially declared illegal." I tried to tone down the seriousness of the type of magic I was talking about and explained what I needed from her.

"Unless you have something she's treasured for years or maybe some of her hair or something else attuned to her we'd have to use your blood. Blood because, well it's a more potent magical tie between people, since you aren't your sister I can't just use your hair I need something with a stronger connection to her." I gave her a fake apologetic look, really I didn't care that she'd have to cut herself, it was the best spell I knew that would quickly lead me to her sister, and it would only work with her blood. I lied to her to make it seem less like blood magic than it was, the spell only ever worked with blood. "It's only a few drops. Spells like this are used sometimes to find runaways and kidnapping victims. It really wouldn't affect you at all."

That was sort of true but magical kidnappings are so rare, it's always more likely to be a murder not a kidnapping. That specific spell is actually used by the head of a, dark, pureblood household to hunt down and dispose of any blood traitors, squibs, or other unworthy family members. Only the Head or Heir is ever taught the spell, and usually they can just use their own blood since it's used on the family. The only reason that tracking spell wasn't illegal was because no one outside the Malfoy family would have ever heard of or seen it.

"Why should I trust you? I know there're all kinds of Dark Magic you could use with 'only a few' drops of my blood. How do I know you don't have some other motive for helping me?" Yeah I was hoping she'd be stupid for a Ravenclaw, but even my next move put her in my metaphorical debt.

"My dear young Ravenclaw you would be unworthy of your house if you didn't suspect a Slytherin such as myself of ulterior motives. But," I gave her a compliment and subtlety told her I paid attention to her and knew her house, again manipulating her, "I, Draco Malfoy, will swear to you, Rose, a Wizard's Oath on my magic that I don't intend to ever harm either your sister, Patricia, or yourself, and that I will only use your blood to aid in finding your sister. While I might have my own reasons for helping you rest assured that none of them will bring harm to you. May my own life be forfeit if I break this vow."

There I'd made her trust me, feel indebted to me, and she'd feel safe letting me help. She did; she accepted the oath just as I expected and she even asked me if she could come talk to me in the library sometimes. I protected my own plans of using one of you to learn about muggles and beyond not hurting her or using her blood for some other spell I was safe. The rest was stuff along those lines, Dobby came and got my books, I insulted Granger, we went to the Shrieking Shack, because nobody ever looks in there, and did the spell. The rest you were there for but the whole time I was manipulating you into doing what I wanted you to.

When I saved you it was even better for me that you're obsessed with magic and the esoteric because you were the perfect way of getting information about everyday muggle life. That's why I proposed an information trade, I was using both of you. I always was.

You don't know what kind of person I am. There are so many things I did just for my own amusement, to further my plans, or just because I could." Sighing Draco leaned his elbows on the table and dropped his head onto his palms. "I didn't want you to know me, I didn't want to _be_ me. I wanted to be someone else, someone who would never use you or his friends, someone who didn't know Dark magic and would never use it, someone who's trustworthy, loyal, nice, _good_."

Tric slapped his head, hard.

"Ow!" Rubbing the back of his head and pouting at her he looked up. "What was that for?"

Folding her hands into fists, which she then rested on her hips, she stood demandingly over his seated form. "It doesn't matter who you were. You aren't him anymore. I smacked you, the Draco Malfoy of Hogwarts would have cursed me into a pile of mush already. You pouted at me, and asked _why_. Completely different reactions, completely different people. Your past is your past, get over it. According to Rose Harry Potter has, otherwise why would he be looking for you to congratulate you and apologize for misjudging you and being so mean to you years ago."

"That's just some story he's told the press. He's probably obsessing over my disappearance because now that Lord Voldemort's gone he needs a new mystery." Frown lines formed across his forehead, "I hope I'm not a completely different person. Depending on what you find in that book that could be a really, really, bad thing."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you after work, on _your_ lunch break," standing he pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead. "Thank you," he whispered before darting out the door.

"Yuck, way too sappy Honey." Then she noticed the mess he'd left her with. "Mark! You, you -ARGH!"

* * *

**AN:** So they finally get to the root of it. While Draco's whole disappearance was planned he did forget about his living portrait and thus that twist was unexpected to him. He's not sure what exactly happened or why, hence the need for Dobby to give him that book. And I wanted him to face up to his side of things so something magical had to happen to or around him.

**Emeralden Rapley:** Thank you for your review, I love stories with a gay Draco too.

**D.H. Knightly: **Do you mean faster updates or more speed within the writing? I also don't like Tric dating Draco but a few readers mentioned it and so I put the option out there. She was only the muggle confidant/ally Draco needed to make good his escape but never meant to be more than a friend to him. Sorry about the lack of characterization, I'll try to develop more. Ron and Hermione are engaged, I think I've mentioned that in at least two previous chapters but it's confirmed here. Blaise and Pansy are way engaged, they're only holding off the wedding so they can have their best friend there (Draco) as said in chapter 3. I haven't forgotten anything about Mark/Draco, but what he did has never been done before (what kind of person would give up magic) so Hermione's research can't reflect his situation exactly because there's other factors involved. I know that not all reviews are going to be praise or pleas to continue and I've actually been a bit freaked out that I hadn't gotten too many that were elaborate constructive criticism like yours, or any that were purely criticism, thanks for yours. My friend Ruth sits there and reads it for me once it goes up so she can give me advice, she's better at writing than me, but since she gives me verbal and/or emailed responses you can't tell but trust me, I'm getting plenty of negative feedback. (The only thing she ever gives is negative feedback.)

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Tell me what you guys think should happen and I will always take it into consideration.

* * *

**AN:** There is now a companion piece to this called Made Himself Muggle detailing the Wizarding World's reactions to Draco's defection two years ago. You could go read it if you like this but wanted more of everyone's opinions than I shared in chapter two.


	19. Missing Your Soul

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim _'Misshaps & Misstakes Withe Life Magiks' _by Willa LeFlonhg, the living portrait idea specifics (although it is based a lot on Mrs. Black's), the metaphysical identity details, Tric (and her family).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 18: Missing Your Soul

Before he finished opening the door Tric jumped up from her seat at the desk and ran over to Mark, waving to her boss on the way out. Grabbing his arm she dragged her stunned victim down the street to their usual lunchtime hangout without slowing down. Pushing him into a seat she darted off calling back that she'd order for him. A few minutes later, since it does take time to prepare food even at a fast food restaurant, she carried the loaded tray back to their secluded table and plopped it down between them.

"What if I had wanted something else?"

"Tough, you'll eat the food I bought and tell me what I was supposed to find last night before I die of curiosity," defiantly Tric opened the box of fried chicken strips she'd ordered for herself and chomped noisily on one. "Happy Birthday Honey, I got you your favorite hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and no onion. Now start talking."

"I think we eat too much fast food," complained Mark as he unwrapped his hamburger. He received a glare in return.

"Fine, I'm sure you copied the chapters near the middle of the book. Did any of them mention anything about something called a living portrait," glancing around suspiciously he scooted his chair closer to the table. "There was one of Draco Malfoy painted on his fifth birthday that may have complicated things."

"You forgot about it didn't you."

"It might have slipped my mind when I was planning things."

"Do you mean when you were researching and modifying advanced spells along with the intense study of Muggle life nonstop for three years hoping to learn enough to escape unscathed after your graduation," she taunted him.

"Yes," he grudgingly admitted.

"I can see how a picture that was painted before you could really remember much in the first place was left out of your plans, but there weren't too many mentions of them in that book." As she said this she pulled a thick notebook out of her bag, "this is chapters six through eight. Living portraits are mentioned in chapter eight." She started flipping through the notebook filled with writing.

"Please tell me you didn't hand copy that entire book last night after I left."

"Why did you think I left all the dishes out for you?"

"Oh god, we're doomed. You could have just demolished the whole Statute of Secrecy if you dropped that. You're not allowed to just copy books, especially _wizarding_ ones, willy-nilly," moaning at his roommate's stupidity Mark dropped his neglected burger on the tray and started rubbing his forehead to stave off a headache.

"Whoever picked it up would think I have an amazing imagination. Besides it's the first real book about magic I've gotten that wasn't one of Rose's school books," giving him a pleading expression she continued, "I had to stay up until about four am to get the whole book, I had to tell Dobby to come back later twice. You can't take it away now."

"I'm not touching your book, just tell me what Granger was reading, and keep it in your room." Giving him a huge smile she turned back to the notebook as he rolled his eyes and tried to eat his lunch.

"Well it explains the mechanics of living portraits briefly and talks about how there's only ever been one witch whose portrait 'woke early,' which is when her portrait moved but she wasn't-"

"I know how they work, Tric. Tell me why it happened."

"Pennylope the Personable, god what an awful name to be stuck with," as his glare increased in intensity she hurried to continue, "Pennylope had a multiple personality disorder and when she had an accident one of her personalities 'died' and took over the portrait while the rest of them were still alive. Her family flipped out and the doctors eventually stuck her personalities back together with some kind of mind magic, it doesn't include details, and she had a new portrait made. The end. Happy?"

"No. I think I might have another personality." Here Tric burst into laughter. "It's not a joke! I forgot about the portrait and now I'm having dreams about an alternate Draco Malfoy, who knows things I don't about the wizarding world, and Granger's looking into living portrait mishaps. Just last night you told me I'm completely different from the Draco Malfoy I used to be."

"That's crazy. Aren't you the one with all the psychology books?"

"Yes, but-"

"In a professional way, don't think of it as yourself, would you say you have a multiple personality disorder?"

"No, but-"

"So, there's some other reason for your portrait being involved. You don't know if it's actually been moving now do you. Maybe there's some reason she thinks it should be moving but since it isn't she's looking for the reason. You said you left a trail, is there any part of it that might lead them to think you've died?"

"Well, no. I left a trail in New York, paid some college student to keep leaving clues there for a few months after I'd left to throw off the trail. Then I left a more detailed trail for Sev to follow. Since he's my godfather and confidant I figured he would talk to my ex-fiancé and watch the pensive memory I left him of when I met Rose and you, I didn't include what happened when we weren't with Rose, and figure out you'd know where I was. If he had trouble I left him access to my will thinking he'd maybe notice how you were mentioned again and come to you. And finally, since he's so thorough in following leads he'd notice Dobby in the memory and he'd talk to him like Granger did. If he was too paranoid to actually ask you about me and just spied on us he'd notice where you and I work, he'd see the name of the club and know that I was me."

"You said you didn't want to be found?" She skeptically remarked.

"Nobody ever knew about our pen pal arrangement. Sev would have waited to contact me until it was safe. He was there to let my mother know I was fine and warn me if I was in danger. He'd understand me not going back, and he'd never tell people where I was. Unless he thought they should know for some reason, but even then he would be helping me somehow."

"So, he's the only one with access to the second trail?" He blushed lightly. "I thought so, who else did you give access to?"

"I didn't give anyone else the memory but I told Evonne she could tell the truth to Sev, Pansy, Blaise, or H-Potter. If all of them died in the war or something she could tell his sidekicks and my mother instead. And they've all got access to my will, incase Sev died or something," he sheepishly admitted. "I thought since they're light side do-gooders they'd work with my friends or my mother to find me _if_ they needed to. They all hated me, I never thought that any one but Sev or Blaise might come looking for me."

"What about Pansy and your mum?"

"Pansy is emotional and caring so she might want to find me, but I was counting on her and Blaise distracting each other: getting married, having a baby. I'd hoped a kid would stop them from wasting their time searching for me. Blaise would probably feel guilty because he cast the containment spell, but he's the only one I thought might really keep searching for me besides Sev. Sev would tell my mother I was fine, and none of my distant cousins would suddenly become the head of the Malfoy family because I'm not dead, so she wouldn't be worried enough to look for me."

"Well, I saw everyone on your list except Sev and your mum together at the club. Rose would let them have her memories, which amounts to the same thing as Snape had. Your friends would know about your engagement. Granger, at least, followed the Dobby lead. They all had access to your will. Where was the evidence that made her think you died?" Having pulled out a new sheet of paper, letting Draco glimpse the other nine notebooks that contained the rest of the book she'd copied, she started listing all the facts and clues they had. "What about the spell you used to find me, you said the only way that wouldn't work was if I had been dead, could they have used a spell like that?"

"Yes, but it wouldn't work. I don't have any siblings and if my father was imprisoned he couldn't act as the Head of the household to find me so no one could have tried exactly what I did, and I made sure other tracking spells won't work either. If a spell isn't attuned to a person by a physical connection then it looks for them based on their magical signature or their metaphysical identity."

"Their what?"

"The closest definition is probably a soul or maybe astral projection but it's not quite that, it's the impression of who they are beyond the physical plane. Imagine the world as a mass of energy, with no physical boundaries, each person, plant, or animal is a bit of coloured fire drifting around a larger ball of energy. Buildings take on a fainter fire, with magical buildings being more distinct. Each flame is a different color depending on who or what it is. You and Rose may be almost identical in spells searching with blood but your metaphysical identities are completely unique. It searches beyond any physical barriers, changing how you look doesn't effect that kind of spell."

"Okay, so how'd you get around that?"

"I could never have cast that kind of tracking spell when we were looking for you, you need multiple people to do it, but I didn't want someone to cast one on me. So I thought about it and when I contained my magic I made myself untraceable through a magical signature, since I don't have one anymore. Part of that spell, and some others Dobby and I cast on myself ahead of time, sort of changed my metaphysical self."

"You changed your soul?"

"Not really, we changed who I am or was and who I seem to be. With an obscure combination of spells we made it so that as long as my magic is contained my metaphysical identity won't register as Draco Malfoy's. If someone cast that kind of spell looking for Mark Willasin they'd find me right away, looking for Draco Malfoy they'll come up with nothing. Which could be the problem, usually if you cast a spell like that and the subject is dead it'll tell you but since I didn't die it'll seem like Draco Malfoy just stopped existing one day. We triggered it to the first birthday of my new identity after I left. So any spells relying on that type of magic would come-up blank and if someone tries one now it'll tell them Draco Malfoy stopped existing two years ago today."

"Could those spells have interacted with your portrait somehow? Maybe it's been moving around these last two years because it thinks Draco Malfoy did die then," suggested Tric.

"I don't know. When I was planning this I didn't remember my portrait at all so I never researched the magics used to create it or how they'd be affected by any of the spells I cast. We're working blind here, I've never heard of this type of situation before," growled out the frustrated ex-wizard.

"Apparently neither has Willa LeFlonhg."

"You're not helping here Tric, not at all," he pouted.

"Fine, fine. If you got rid of your soul where did it go? You're not dead so what happened to it? You said you've been dreaming about another Draco Malfoy, is he the portrait, your subconscious, or your soul," she asked ending her question by whistling an eerie tune from the horror film they'd gone to recently.

"Alright we can call my _metaphysical identity_ my soul for now, even if it's an inaccurate term. I don't think the other Draco is my subconscious, he told me that Weasley and Granger are planning on getting married soon and I didn't know that. Also he seemed to know that my godfather was a spy for the light side when I didn't, although I suspected it I wasn't positive. The portrait could have known those things if someone's been talking to it. My soul though, I don't have any idea as to how it would know that kind of stuff. I hope it wasn't my –soul, because that means I'm really an evil prat pretending to be somebody worthwhile."

"So your living portrait has truly come alive, but as some evil bastard who isn't you. What happened to your soul?"

"Nothing! I didn't get rid of it, it's just drifting around like everyone else's only it's untraceable if someone's looking," he huffed out in annoyance. "My metaphysical identity is fine."

"Okay, your soul's safe, your subconscious isn't bugging you, you don't have multiple personalities, and you living portrait might be alive. Did I miss anything?" Receiving a negative shake of his head she finished scribbling on her notes. "You need to face up to this dream you and squash him so you can stop worrying about whether you're evil or not and you need to get ready for your birthday party I'm holding at your Den tonight. I think we'll have all your problems solved by tomorrow afternoon."

"Wait, you're holding a party for me in my own establishment? Today?" He asked incredulously.

"Duh, you'd refuse to go if we held it at some rival of yours. Feel free to wear whatever you'd wear clubbing," stated Tric calmly.

"I'm working the bar tonight! You-" Leaning across the table she jammed the last of his hamburger into his mouth to shut him up.

"I'm working the bar tonight and I've got the afternoon today and all tomorrow off to sleep. I've already got the cake and called everyone we know so you can't back out," smirking she snagged one of his chips while he washed down his lunch with some coke.

"Are you trying to kill me," he gasped. "Please tell me you didn't call _everyone_ I know."

"Yep, I've invited your ex's."

"Oh bloody hell," he groaned out, only half joking. "I'm changing my will, you won't get the apartment to yourself this easily."

"Relax, I definitely didn't call unable-to-accept-no Derek, not that we have his number. Besides I've only invited the ex's you broke-up with on good terms. Still that was practically all of them, and Brian is currently single." Waggling her eyebrows in a supposedly suggestive manner she laughed at the look he gave her. "I'm really not suggesting you take anyone home tonight, 'cause I'll be sleeping there too, but you should let loose and have some fun on your birthday."

"I know what you're trying to do. Distracting me like this won't work for long," protested Mark feebly.

"It'll work for tonight though. I'll do your hair."

"Not a chance. You'll never touch my head with your evil unnatural colors," came his overly dramatized response.

"Please Honey," Tric begged, "I'll use temporary dye. Washes out in two or three scrubs, I promise."

"Ugh, if I let you mar my hair this way you have to promise not to bug me about it again until after new years," he bargained.

"YES! Deal, come on, blue would look so good on you." Rushing to gather up all her things she had cleared the table and thrown away her rubbish before he'd even had a chance to stand up. "Finally, your hair is all mine." She continued to cackle evilly as they headed towards the shop she knew stocked such colors.

"Remember it's only temporary!" When she gave no sign of hearing him he reduced his complaints to mutters, "my hair had better be brown again by next week."

* * *

**AN:** Funny, I had this much done when I put up the last chapter but I wanted to continue a bit so I didn't post it. Then I got behind at work and school and didn't get a chance to continue as much as I wanted to, so I decided to cut that off and make it a separate chapter from this one. Here you have chapter 18 over a month after it was done. (Owch, I'm slow.) Read my companion piece, 'Made Himself Muggle,' just for kicks please.

**Marie-Ruth:** Thank you for your reviews, all of them.

**Samairi:** Glad you like my Dobby-ism, I was really worried about trying to write a Dobby who sounds authentic while helping Draco and hiding stuff from Harry's friend but I had fun with him. Hopefully you'll like the other magical stuff I invent. I usually don't like OCs who become main characters or main characters who are too OOC either, I hope I don't become that writer. I just love messing around with Draco.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of fiction this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Tell me what you guys think should happen and I may consider it.


	20. Birthday In Blue

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the club and Tric (and those other non-important OCs).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.

Chapter 19: Birthday In Blue

"Does she know when we're coming somehow?" Pansy asked bewildered when they walked into the Den and saw Tric behind the bar chatting with Mark.

"Don't be ridiculous Pansy. She doesn't have magic and they can't accurately predict the future in the Muggle world." Even as he dismissed the idea Blaise too looked frustrated.

"We wanted to talk to Tric by herself anyways, let's just wait for Mark to leave." Harry rolled his eyes at the couple.

"It's his club. He's not just going to leave," protested Blaise.

"Yeah, he is. First off he's not dressed like he was both times he was working here before, and second she's making drinks for him." Mark picked up the three drinks Tric placed in front of him and wove his way across the club to a booth filled with people while Harry spoke. Handing drinks to a pretty brunette and the tall young man next to her he slid into the booth on the girl's other side and started chatting with her.

"Oh, well, I guess that solves one problem. Come on, we're finally going to find Draco." Pansy rushed over to the bar ahead of her companions.

"I'd hate to see your fiancé during pregnancy mood swings." Harry wryly commented as they followed her lead.

"I've always loved her enthusiasm, she was never as guarded or jaded as the rest of Slytherin. Both her parents were Death Eaters but she still managed to stay so bright and hopeful," sighed out Blaise in a lovesick manner. "She was our heart, she could always tell when you just needed someone to listen or even just be there. Draco was the one who brought us together, maybe even held us together, but she was the only one who wasn't afraid of _feeling_, or letting it show." They reached the bar and sat down on either side of her waiting for Tric to notice them.

"Damn, you're a bunch of relentless creeps, it's like you can't leave my family alone. Here to tell me another sob story from your school?" Tric's reaction to them wasn't the most promising. She leaned over the bar towards them and lowered her voice. "You went to my sister's school, you know I didn't. She told me you people spoke to her. I'm her _Muggle _older sister and we don't tolerate magic here. You want a drink or were you just leaving?"

"We know Draco helped you and your sister a few years ago and-" Pansy interrupted Harry, he wasn't getting to the point fast enough.

"He's our best friend, he's missing, and you were the only Muggle he ever met before he left. You have to be helping him hide! We need to find him, we need to know he's okay. He was supposed to be the best man at our wedding. I need to know he's alright, he's my little brother," Pansy's rushed words ran from sounding demanding to pleading in a single breath.

"He was an only child who you should stop bugging people about." Glancing past them she frowned. "Give up. Stop coming here and bothering me, you'll never find who you're looking for and I can't tell you anything." She glared at them, as if she was attempting to push them back out the door with just her eyes.

* * *

"Alison, here you go. One of those overly girly drinks, just as you requested my lady." Mark handed the woman a pinkish cocktail with a lime hanging off the rim, and an umbrella sticking brightly over the opposite edge, with an exaggerated flourish. She giggled as he passed Jackson, the guy next to her, his drink and slid into the booth sandwiching her between them. Everyone was buzzed to some degree this far into the night, they'd been here for hours already; the cake was long gone, as were most of the guests, and Mark was pretty sure it was between one and two in the morning. He was regretting how much he'd drunk already, being more than a little tipsy and knowing he'd feel it in the morning. If he hadn't let her streak his hair earlier Tric might have dyed it if, more like when, he passed out later.

"Mark, we've missed you," Alison whined. "You haven't come to the center in ages."

"It's been what, less than a month? You can't have missed me that much."

"All the kids miss you; the boys miss the only one who's always up for whatever game they're playing and the girls miss the cute guy who's okay with talking about feelings and stuff." Smirking she leaned into his side flirtatiously. "Us adults miss you too. You're the hottest volunteer, hands down. It's always nice to take a break and watch you work. Everybody's missed you."

"Stop flirting, you're six years older than me. We met when I was 17, remember?" Mark tried to chastise her sternly. "Us dating would be weird Alison. It's creepy you think about me like that."

"_I_ don't, you're still a little cutie in my book. Forever seventeen, must be nice not aging like that." She giggled to herself. "Here we sit, celebrating your twentieth and you're still seventeen."

"Right…, no more drink for you."

"You aren't doing much better yourself. You two could be trying to out drink each other," Jackson told Mark over Alison's quiet giggling and nonsensical mutterings about Mark's age.

"Oy, I've been stressed about shit, I needed to get smashed enough to forget stuff tonight," he complained. "Besides, I'm a functional drunk!"

"I'll say. If anything you're better off drunk. You actually tell people what you're thinking; most of what I know about you I only learned because you were drunk and I dated you before," he agreed. "Before you get too smashed I need to ask you a favor."

"On _my_ birthday, Jack? That's not nice."

"Yeah. Sorry. But I'll totally make it up to you." He looked sheepish.

"'S fine, I broke up with you for no reason. We'll call it payback." Mark waved away Jack's embarrassment in a dismissing manner.

"Uh, that was almost a year ago. I'm over it."

"I know. You're dating what's-er name, the pretty blonde girl from your work."

"Actually, that's why I need a favor." A violent blush covered his face. "We split earlier today and I was wondering if I could crash on your couch. Just for tonight, I didn't really have time to get my stuff out of our flat yet."

"Oh, sure, I'll tell Tric." Glancing over at Tric Mark saw the three unwelcome patrons seated at the bar. Frowning he gulped down the rest of his drink and started to get up. "I'll go tell her now."

* * *

Tric hadn't been glaring for long when someone pushed their way up to the bar next to Harry. She turned away from the wizards, and witch, with a smile on her face.

"Back already Honey? I didn't think you would need anything so soon." She focused completely on Mark, pointedly ignoring the three she had been talking to moments ago.

"Just want to warn you. Jack's staying over tonight, this morning, whatever."

"Your ex?"

"He's the only Jack here I know. Except the one back there with you." Leaning further against the bar he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in the direction of the bottles of alcohol behind the bar.

"I told you not to have too much fun. I'm still sleeping there as well. Isn't he dating some blonde girl he works with, Sheryl, or something?" Her smile slipped a little.

"He was, they broke up and he needs a place to stay the night. I'm not sleeping with him again." Turning what could be called drunken puppy dog eyes on her he continued. "I thought I might sleep on the couch, or something, again tonight."

"You sure as hell aren't sleeping on the floor again. You sleep in my bed or in your own bed."

"What if I like the floor?" He pouted ridiculously at her.

"You don't, it gives you neck cramps. Our couch is too small to fit you or Jack comfortably so you're stuck with my bed," she smirked triumphantly at him. "As always I can take care of you way better than you can, give up."

"About giving up, are these _people_ here to ask questions again?" Mark turned to glare at Harry and the two ex-Slytherins behind him.

"They're just asking about that person I told you about. No big deal," laughing nervously she tried to direct Mark back to his friends.

"It's a problem, them coming here asking questions, not giving up. They could've at least waited a few more years. Stop coming here looking for your old classmates. Do you know what you're trying to do? No, you don't. You people expected him to just sit around waiting for you to find and save him. He left for a reason, he would be dead now anyways if he stayed," hissed out the drunken birthday boy.

"What do you mean? Draco helped us gain victory with his information, we would have protected him if he had come to us," Harry protested.

"Hah! You and your friends would never have protected someone like him. None of you would fully trust him, you'd forget about him in a raid or something and worry about the real good guys while he died. Or you'd ask him to be a spy, he'd do it for you, and afterwards your side would condemn him if the other side hadn't killed him first. Or," here a dark edge of pain tinged his voice, "he would have killed himself long before now."

"That's not true, Draco isn't like that. No matter what we went through he's always been a survivor, he was a Slytherin," contradicted Blaise. Mark flinched minutely at his words.

"Really? There's nothing idealistic or romantic about one-sided love. It's a nicer way of saying self hatred. It's painful, and no one wants it, no one likes it. Not even a _survivor_." They could almost hear the word 'Slytherin' hidden behind his inflection on survivor, it fluttered tauntingly at the edge of their awareness. "No, he would have killed himself before too long no matter what he was. Maybe I know your friend better than you did. He had to leave, try to forget everything. You always remember firsts; first crush, first kiss, first love. When it's that painful you need to get out before it kills you," he sneered, his cheeks red from both anger and alcohol.

"I, we, knew who he was in love with! We would have helped him," Pansy defended the slight at her friendship with Draco.

"But do you know what it's like to be in love with someone who can never love you back? It's pain, hatred, of the worst kind. Every time you see that person you feel giddy, happy, but there's knives cutting you inside because you know they'll never feel the same around you. Every time you hate yourself a bit more for falling for them, you hate them a bit for keeping you in love with them, but you can't stay mad at them so you just hate yourself more. You know, even while you hate it, if they asked you to die for them so they could go off and live happily you'd do it. Because you love them too much." The look, a mixture of pain, loathing, self-depreciation, and worst of all recollection as if he knew all this first hand, that covered his face was almost frightening.

"Was Draco in love with a Muggleborn or something? How would you know?" Harry sounded confused and everyone continued to ignore him.

"You said you knew who he was in love with but you're looking for him like this," Mark waved disdainfully at the group. "You couldn't do anything while he was suffering, you couldn't help and you couldn't see how much. Your friend would have died, no matter what you did. Now? You shouldn't beat the dead horse. He's gone, move on. Stop coming here and leave us alone." His tone carried such finality that they could all tell the conversation was over. He wasn't going to listen to anything else they might have to say. One of his friends, a girl he'd been sitting with, approached and whispered in his ear while tugging on his arm. Waving to Tric he wandered off to dance with the giggly brunette they had seen him talking to before, leaving them in a stunned silence.

"You'll have to excuse Mark, he sympathized with Draco's situation. They both had a similar bad experience with falling hard for someone who didn't like them back." Tric chuckled nervously. "You know, before Draco left."

"So they met?" Harry was the first to recover.

"Uh, no? He only knows about him second hand from me. Draco was gone by the time Mark could have met him, with Mark being a Muggle and all." This was uncomfortable, they hadn't made any plans that would have involved this line of questioning; she needed to bring them back around to leaving soon. "Mark really doesn't like the whole concept of magic and Draco was in New York by the time he was a Muggle."

"He really was in New York? What happened to him? Where is he now?" As was typical Pansy jumped at the mention of Draco.

"Sure, he went to New York and from there wherever he wanted to. How should I know?" Tric sneered back. "You do realize both the owner of the Den and myself have _asked_ you to leave already."

"You're in his will. Draco gave you a house, some money, and he left a message for you. I think you were closer than you'd like us to believe. Draco always had a reason for everything, what was his reason for including you in his will?" Blaise refused to let her deter them.

"Fine, tag-team much? I helped him out a little. It was a he saved my life, I saved his type of exchange. I helped him get the airplane ticket to America and explained how a bunch of the most common Muggle things work. The underground, buses, money, kitchen stuff, lights, phones, and any other basics. All I did was make sure he could blend in." Tric grudgingly admitted.

"You were with him in France, I saw you there. Evonne told us it was you with Draco pretending to be his fiancé!" Pansy blurted out.

"Yeah, so? I spent the summer showing him how Muggle stuff worked when we went sight seeing. He showed me Wizarding stuff in return." Tric rolled her eyes, "It was an information exchange. He learned what he needed to and I learned what I wanted to, the end. I've got a life here and he's gone now. Whatever."

"You're sure that's all that you can tell us about him? Evonne told us you were thinking of moving in together after Draco finished school." Harry had clearly thought more about his questioning than Pansy.

"Maybe we talked about it but I was already living in Mark's place by the time you'd graduated and I wasn't going to leave England. He wasn't safe here and I wasn't going there." Tric crossed her arms. "There's really nothing else left to tell you. Mark said it perfectly; Draco would be dead by now no matter what you did, he's gone, go back to your lives. He made his choice." Pansy lunged over the counter, slapping the shorter girl across the cheek.

"How can you be so, so, uncaring about him?" She hissed at Tric. The younger girl shrugged but amped up her glare.

"You can't change the past. There's nothing here for you," she retorted as Harry tried to calm the witch.

"Maybe, but we can change your future if we find out you hurt Draco somehow." It was apparently Blaise's turn to antagonize the bartender. A large bouncer, the same one who had walked Tric home the night Hermione followed her, was already stalking toward their group. Harry ended up apologizing repeatedly for his companions as they were forcibly booted out of the Den.

* * *

"I sort of liked that club." Harry whined morosely as he slouched against an alley wall.

"Harry, the owner of that club hates magic and Malfoys and he and his roommate may have gotten rid of Draco somehow! How could you like it," screeched an offended Pansy.

"Well when he wasn't drunk, at my birthday, Mark was really nice, funny. It was a nice set-up in there? The theme works well and they play a nice variety of music. Nobody was hero worshiping me either," he defended. The ex-Slytherins stared at him, one glaring, affronted, the other seemed only slightly calmer with a dark preoccupied look on his face.

"You know what, the drunken muggle was right," sneered Blaise suddenly. "We shouldn't be looking for Draco like this. You weren't his friend. Maybe you killed the Dark Lord but we don't need your help finding Draco. We have professionals who find people for a living. I'm taking everything we've found to Mr. Solvum today, he'll find Draco, it's his job, and you can stop playing around."

"I'm not playing around! I want to find Draco just as much as you do," raising his voice as he lost his temper Harry was almost yelling at Blaise.

"Really? Because it doesn't seem like it. You let us research in the library while you wandered off on your own, you're distracted by some muggle club, you don't care that both of those muggles spent an entire conversation telling us nothing beyond 'Draco's gone' and 'he'd be dead anyway,' and you don't even have a reason to find him." Blaise managed to smooth his features back into a relatively calm appearing mask.

"That's not true, I wasn't distracted. I do have a reason-" Harry tried to defend himself.

"Pansy wants to find her best friend and surrogate brother. I want to find my best friend, make sure he's not suffering. You want to apologize to your childhood rival? I think you're just bored now that the war's over." Pulling out his wand and preparing to apparate he gave one more parting shot before vanishing. "Too sick of fighting to become an Auror like your friend, too obsessed over not being given favoritism as a hero to try finding another job, you claimed you just wanted a rest. So rest, keep your hero complex to yourself, and let the people who care about him find Draco."

"I, ugh, git," grumbled Harry. "I have a better reason than that. I care about him too."

"Really?" Pansy's question startled Harry who had obviously forgotten she still stood there.

"Of course, maybe not as much as you two, but I do. I-I miss him," stuttered out the wizarding hero. "I know, it seemed odd to me too at first, but he's always been a constant. No matter what the rest of the world said about me he never changed. It kept me grounded, in a way he was more reliable than Ron and Hermione. Ron got jealous sometimes and Hermione was a bit to quick to report everything to a teacher or someone. He, I never noticed how much time I spent looking at him or fighting with him or thinking about him until Draco left. At the end, when we all had to go to those celebrations, I'd feel like something was missing and then I'd find myself looking around to see what Malfoy was up to."

"Yes, but why do you want to find him? He changed his stance, proclaimed his support for you to the world. He'd be different," she pressed.

"I know, but he'll still be the _same_. He won't be swayed by newspapers or some sort of hero-worship. Even if he was my friend now it would still be because he likes me for who I am, not what people think I'm like," explained Harry. "There aren't many of those people out there."

"Maybe you could keep looking, I'll help too sometimes. But Blaise _is_ right, we hired Mr. Solvum because he finds things, people, for a living. We don't have to stop looking on our own but I do think giving him what we've found is a good idea too." Pansy sighed and scooted closer to give Harry a sideways hug. "You've helped a lot and I like you for who you are. We can still be friends after we find Draco, maybe you can come to the wedding with him. Blaise likes you too, he's just really worried about Draco."

"Why? I thought you were the emotional one," joked Harry.

"I think something happened when Draco left. Blaise was the last one to see him and I sometimes feel like they fought over something," Pansy replied seriously. "He acts so guilty sometimes; I think he thinks he put Draco in danger or something. I want to find Draco because I miss him, I worry about him, and I want to see him again. Blaise wants to find him to make sure he's not hurt, and maybe to ask for forgiveness."

* * *

**AN:** Moving along. Read my companion piece, 'Made Himself Muggle,' just for kicks please.

**DragonRoseWendy:** Thank you so much for that nice long review. I'm with you on the pairing there. I never meant for Tric to ever be seriously considered as an option for any of JKR's characters (except maybe some obscure one who's only named like once if people really pushed for it). My imagination runs so wild on everything HP it's sad. You might be right about needing Harry to get his magic back. ;)

**smileyfox5150:** Yea, thanks much for the support. I'm so glad she's not a very Mary Sue OC, I tried to make that happen but sometimes it's hard to tell what others might think.

**ixamxeverywhere:** Sorry, nothing's happening but don't worry! In less than three chapters 'shit' goes down like it hasn't since the first few chapters. (If this chapter wasn't up to par.)

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of writing this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Tell me what you guys think should happen and I may consider it.


	21. Looking For Marbles

**Disclaimer: **I own none of this Harry Potter stuff; anything you recognize from the books or the movies is not mine. I can only claim the club and Tric (and those other non-important OCs).

**AN:** None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes. Also I've updated the timeline to be current (chapter 14).

I've tried to cover all my bases before but just in case WARNING; cursing/potty-mouths, heterosexual and homosexual couples mentioned, some talk about sex, death and Death Eaters, physical threats on characters' lives, blood and bruises, alcohol and under 21 drinking (but no under 18), suicide and self harm are mentioned, multiple personality disorder and other mental issues are touched on too, and everything else. Of course by now you've seen all those things mentioned in the story already so it's too late now but whatever.

Chapter 20: Looking For Marbles

"Do you want some coffee Jack?" Tric offered as she unlocked the apartment she and Mark shared. The young man staggered in with the support of his ex. Grinning from where he leaned against Jack, Mark whispered loud enough to for both of them to hear.

"She takes great care of me. We keep the coffee machine ready to go in the mornings." Making his unsteady way over to the kitchen he sat down with his head buried in his folded arms on the table.

"Sorry, no. I never could see how you can fall asleep after drinking that stuff. It's got too much caffeine for me." Jack glanced disdainfully at the pot Tric had started. "Give me a good ol' cup of tea over that stuff any day," he yawned out.

"We just drink so much it doesn't do anything anymore. You've got my bed tonight. I've got some sleepwear in my underwear drawer, somewhere, but feel free to just sleep in your boxers or whatever." Groaning Mark waved vaguely at Jack as if to imply he was to find his own way to Mark's room.

"Please _don't_ walk around without clothes on," muttered Tric, blushing furiously. "You two may have seen each other in the altogether before but I haven't, and I don't really want to."

"Still avoiding all the guys but Mark?" Jack teased.

"Doesn't mean I don't get any," defended Tric. "I'm an equal opportunity type."

"Which is why I've only ever seen you with girls," he countered.

"She flirts with boys all the time. Tric just goes further with girls; either way she doesn't 'get any' as she so crudely claims. Please go to sleep and stop talking," whined Mark.

"I'd like to but, where are you sleeping? I don't want to kick you out of your own bed but we really shouldn't try sharing either," explained Jack.

"I'm in Tric's room again tonight, no need to worry about me jumping you or anything," groused Mark. Although still happily drunk he hadn't completely lost his irritation from the earlier confrontation.

"You're the one who broke-up with me, I wasn't worried," Jack protested as he got up, jokingly waving his hands defensively in front of his face. "Good night, or morning, Tric, Mark, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your coffee."

"Why did you two break-up? I get that you're still great friends, but what was the reason you went back to friends when you were happy together? Five months Honey, it was your longest relationship, ever," Tric pressed her drunk roommate once his ex was down the hall and out of easy earshot. Pouring two cups of coffee she set the first in front of him before settling down in the recently vacated seat.

"_I_ was the reason." They sat in silence, sipping coffee together, for a few minutes before he started explaining. "I couldn't stay with him anymore. He doesn't know me and I felt horrible lying to him, I always do. Anyone I meet likes Mark Willasin and that isn't right. We could never have lasted; I'd be lying to him forever about my past and who I am. I feel bad enough tricking people into being my friend but I can't keep secrets like that from a lover. I told Jack I wasn't really over _someone_ and he didn't deserve to be tied to me if I couldn't give him everything he was willing to give me."

"It's not really lying, you _are_ Mark Willasin. And you aren't tricking people into being your friends at all. Every one of your friends likes who you are now, they don't need to know who you were, it isn't who you are anymore," Tric reiterated what she'd tried to explain to Mark just yesterday. "People change, you've changed, I've changed, and I'll bet _they've_ all changed too. You aren't lying about who you are by leaving out irrelevant bits of your past."

"Honey I adore you. If we had a male clone of you I'd marry him straight away." Slurping down the rest of his coffee he fluttered his eyelashes and simpered at her in a parody of a love struck teenaged girl. "Of course he'd have to not have the history we do. I'd hate to end up married to someone I couldn't see as anything but a little brother."

"You wouldn't be able to marry him anyway, it's not legal in _either_ world." Grabbing his cup and putting it in the dishwasher with hers she half dragged him into her bed room. "You mister need to stay awake long enough to at least get in the bed."

"Are we sharing?" He asked as he sat on the closest edge of the bed to remove his shoes and socks.

"Yeah, why not. Close your eyes," demanded the girl as she pulled out the shirt and boxers she wore to sleep. While he kept his eyes shut she changed as quickly as she could behind him. "Alright, you can open them."

"You know I could have kept them open and still not seen you behind me." Smirking he pulled off his shirt, leaving him in his trousers, before laying back on the bed.

"It makes me feel a little more decent." Crawling under the covers on her side she gave him an evil grin as he settled down next to her. "Wanna bet on how soon I steal all the covers out for under you?"

"I'll take it as punishment for drinking so much." Rolling towards her he turned serious. "Don't wake me up if I'm dreaming, evil Malfoy and I need to talk."

"I'll do my best to keep you calm without waking you up and I'll be here when you do." Reaching out she flipped off the lamp leaving them in the dark.

"Thanks," his response came punctuated with a yawn.

"Good luck."

* * *

It was beautiful in the fuzzy way of the dreams one has when they're mostly drunk but not yet enough to prevent dreaming. Colour danced vividly before his eyes, everything was brighter, more exaggerated, than it ever could be naturally. Mark frowned, this bright place reminded him of a bustling Diagon Alley, and that wasn't right. He shouldn't be dreaming of places he'd pushed out of his mind years ago, even when he was drunk.

"Come out 'Malfoy,' portrait or whoever, I know you're here somewhere. I'm sure you've always been here watching me haven't you?" The world spun around him as he called out to the alternate Malfoy he'd met in his latest nightmares. Things melted together before re-solidifying into a simpler version of his old room at the Manor, with the image of who he would have been had he stayed a Wizard lounging on the bed. Sneering evilly the blonde Malfoy sent his skin crawling; the likeness of himself wearing Death Eater robes and casting Unforgivables was something Mark couldn't forget and here his doppelganger was reminding him of it again.

"Don't you just hate watching someone wearing your face making decisions you wouldn't, doing things you never would," the figure on the bed taunted Mark.

"Yes, but, now I know why you did," came his calm response.

"_You_ don't know me, you left me behind, _remember_, Mark." Almost growling 'Malfoy' spat the name Mark like it was some sort of disgusting disease.

"This is my dream, and I'm still in charge here, so shut up for a moment." A piece of what looked like duck tape appeared covering the mouth of the blonde version of Draco Malfoy, who grew furious with the rest of his face promised revenge.

"You're mad at me, and I understand, I've felt it. Before I left there were so many moments when I hated myself; hated how weak I was, how cowardly," sighing Mark moved to sit next to himself on the bed while his counterpart struggled to peel off the tape. "Yes I studied all those Muggle psychology books for fun, if things had been different I think I would've liked becoming a Mind Healer, but I've never dealt with anything. My one-sided love, the depression, the suicide attempt, anything I didn't like thinking about I left behind with my old life and my magic. I was obsessed with becoming someone else, someone_ better_, and that idea has warped all the unresolved problems I abandoned into you. You, the part of myself that I didn't want, the part I denied."

"You know I spent so much time not thinking about anything associated with the past that I'd almost forgotten there were times when I was happy." He stretched out alongside the still unwillingly silent Malfoy. The two lay side by side on the bed close enough that the slightest movement towards the center of the bed by either of them would bring them into contact. It was an odd scene; the two men were identical in features their clothes, eye and hair colors being the only ways to tell them apart. One wore comfortable muggle jeans and a t-shirt while the other was dressed in a fully wizarding outfit of black robes. "If you were really all the memories I left behind then you wouldn't be nearly so_ hateful_. I was never able to cast the killing curse at another living thing successfully."

"See, I left behind my friendships with Pansy and Blaise, and Vince and Greg. I pushed all my memories of how happy I was with Mother, how fun it was to spend time with Sev, and everything else before graduation out of my mind with the rest of it. You would have had all that, I even tried to forget _Him_, but that was the problem wasn't it." Mark turned his gaze from the ceiling to the suddenly very still person next to him.

"You were stuck, you are me up to the point where I left, and I left you with all the unresolved problems to watch me move on. You don't hate _me_, you hate _yourself_, because I did. I hated who I was so I moved on to a new life, a new name, and built a new personality to go with it. I've grown and made friends while you've been stewing in the back of my mind unable to change, unable to leave behind your problems because without them you wouldn't be here. Because you are my problems, you're my past, and I've been trying to forget you but I was still too attached to pieces to let it all go, or to deal with any of it."

"I need to accept who I was before I can find out who I can be. Even when I ignored it I've always known, subconsciously, that I had to deal with my past before I could truly move on." Rolling over to pin down his 'past' self Mark smiled hopefully at the newly duck tape-less Malfoy. "I forgive you for being who you were made, I'm sorry I tried to get rid of you, and I think I can forgive myself for everything too. What about you, ready to move on?"

"Can you though? We believed that mudbloods were inferior to Purebloods. Have you forgotten when you actually hoped that Granger would be killed by the monster of Slytherin; maybe you couldn't have killed her but you were okay with someone else doing it for you. Are you really ready to consider everything, to _accept _everything?" Since Mark had pinned him and released him from the tape his cocky attitude had retreated. Instead he looked forlorn, lonely, as if he knew the coming answer would be negative.

"When I ended relationships because I didn't care enough about the other person I was lying. When I kept myself distanced from friends I said it was so I wouldn't get hurt, or that I liked spending time with Tric better, or that I just didn't really like them that much I was lying. I haven't been able to move on and connect with anyone because I was always hiding who I was. I couldn't let go of it, you, but I wouldn't hang on either. I, we, need this."

"I still love him. You never gave me a chance to move on. Ready to deal with _everything_ you left behind?" Determined to be difficult the 'past' half of Malfoy countered his arguments desperately.

"Yeah well, 'The love that lasts the longest is the love that is never returned.' I don't know if it's possible to just move on from that. After all, the name Harry Potter is spoken less than Lord Voldemort's in our flat." He gave a self disparaging grin, "probably not the best way to deal with it."

"Quoting muggle authors to me now? If I wasn't you I'd think you were never a wizard. But then, that was your goal," sneered the Wizarding version of Draco. In an instant he flipped Mark, pulled out his, their, wand and pointed it threateningly in the man's face.

"You still don't get it," he snarled, enraged by the platitudes Mark had been spouting. "As you said yourself; you never _were_ able to cast the killing curse, and Harry Potter was your hope, you could never kill him. _I_ can. True, the portrait hasn't aged in over two years, and I have been able to move around in it, but I am not just your silly old problems, or past. I am more; I've grown too. You didn't just leave behind your friends and family, or even your magic, you left behind a person. You created a new identity, a new life, for yourself, you became Mark Willasin and left behind Draco Malfoy. I am not just who you _were_, I am who you would have become, who you _should be_."

"Not possible," protested the Muggle, undaunted by the threat of magic his double posed. "It's been established that alternate futures cannot cross over into one another. And do put down the wand, your spells go right through me."

"I am not _from_ an alternate future, I am the alternate present. You couldn't let go of your past; you left a trail for your Godfather and friends to follow, you refused to move on, you kept Tric, who knew all about your past, around. You didn't let Draco Malfoy 'die' when he should have. Sentimentality left a connection between you and I, and I lived along with you. Had you severed yourself from Draco Malfoy at the start I would have just been you when you left, I would have been Draco Malfoy's living portrait. I would have been free to move about as if you had died because essentially I would have; Draco Malfoy would have died and given way to Mark Willasin." Continuing his rant the wizard leapt off the bed and began pacing, waving his arms agitatedly.

"These last few years have been torture; watching you live your happy life as a filthy muggle and knowing that you didn't want me, you didn't want to be like me anymore, but you wouldn't let me just die like I was supposed to. Every thought you've had I've had, and I could see and hear as your portrait too. I was Draco Malfoy, I should have been in the portrait hall with my ancestors, but you left a trail, and a connection, to tell Narcissa you were fine, that you were _still alive_," he hissed the last few words venomously. "Couldn't decide which life you wanted as your own? Maybe you were playacting? You wanted to be Draco Malfoy acting like Mark Willasin but you got caught up in your own fantasy? You thought your spells created me on accident. And now, I know everything you think, you wanted to just get rid of me." Spinning he pointed his wand back at Mark, who had gotten over the shockingly bipolar attitude of his magical twin and was sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"You think you just need to accept yourself, your past, and I'll go away. Ha! I'm no longer just a part of you. I've told you before, magic tries to escape any way it can when you contain it. You repressed your magic and you repressed me. It will escape and I will take over, because you are a weak, indecisive, fool." Abruptly stilling he gazed at Mark in a calculating manner. "This is your dream, but our mind. My spells went through you before because I wanted them to, I wanted to taunt you with your helplessness. Have you ever wondered what happens if you die in your dreams? Do you really die in reality? Or would I be left to take control of your body? Let's find out, shall we?" His face broke into a disturbing smile as he steadied the wand aimed at at Mark's chest.

Lunging across the short distance separating them Mark desperately scrabbled for the wand. Knocked off balance the two fell to the floor wrestling for control of both the situation and the weapon. Hindered by his robes and the fact that Mark had clearly had more practice fighting without magic the 'darker' version of Draco Malfoy was slowly being overpowered. Frighteningly when one punched the other across the jaw both gained a split lip, when the muggle gave the wizard a black eye his own face bruised; it was clear that neither could truly win the fight as both men took the same amount of damage. Panting they reached a stalemate when Mark rolled free, wand in hand, to the opposite side of the room.

"What are you going to do? A wand is useless to you, you can't use any magic," scoffed the wizard in triumph. The strange look in his eyes made Mark feel as if he had lost the fight instead.

"Yeah, but at least you don't have it," shot back the confused winner. "If you think I'd let someone who was or is me kill me after all I went through-"

"Mark? MARK!" The call echoed around them.

"Merlin's beard, the stupid muggle's going to-" The blonde was cut off by Tric's voice calling out again, this time louder.

"Draco? Mark? You've got to wake-up, NOW!" She sounded panicked and Mark could feel a slight tugging on his arms, increasing by the second. "_Please_ wake-up Honey, _please_."

* * *

Mark, and the wand he held, faded from the dreamscape leaving the wizarding Malfoy standing alone. A string of shockingly foul curses, both muggle and wizarding, poured from the blonde's mouth. Screaming in incoherent rage he punched the nearest pillow and kicked at the furniture.

"So close! That stupid girl! It was so close, less than a minute more and the proximity alone might have-, ARGH!" Chest heaving he closed his eyes and attempted to calm down. Eventually his breathing slowed and his face lost most of its red tinge. "Oh well, we've made some progress at least. Until next time. I will make it back, eventually," he whispered as the room fell apart into nothing like wisps of fog.

Miles away in Malfoy Manor, had anyone cared to observe it very closely, the living portrait of Draco Malfoy aged a small amount for the first time in over two years.

* * *

Staggering slightly Mark opened his eyes in confusion, stunned to find himself standing in their linen/storage closet. Tric stood grasping his arms from behind with her own trying to drag him back out into the hall. Looking down at the thin box he held in his hands Mark jumped and threw it to the floor as if it was a poisonous snake. He slowly backed away.

"Tric, please put that back for me. I don't know what happened," he claimed shakily. "Thanks for waking me, tell me what I did back in your room?"

"Sure, you should make sure I didn't wake Jack up too though." Stepping around her roommate, considerably calmer now that he wasn't sleepwalking anymore, she grabbed the wooden box off the floor and stuffed it back into the open duffle bag it came from. Zipping it up with the tab engraved 'W' she pushed the bag back into place among the boxes and closed the door behind herself.

Peeking into his room Mark was reassured by the quiet snores coming from the lump in the bed. Silently reclosing the door Mark stopped in the wash room on his way to meet Tric. After splashing some cold water over his hands and face to help jumpstart his mind he joined Tric in her bed. Once they were both huddled under the warm blankets together he motioned for her to explain what he'd done while sleepwalking.

"Honey I can't really tell what happened; one moment you're thrashing around like mad and the next you've gone all still. You were really calm all of a sudden and you just stood up and walked out the room and over to that bag, opened the right side and pulled out your wan-" stopped by his glare she smoothly changed her wording mid sentence, "wooden box. Even though I could tell you were asleep, the closed eyes really gave it away, you knew exactly what you were looking for. It's a good thing you gave me the key to hide 'cause otherwise you might have opened that thing in your sleep."

"I know I've said it before but _thank you_, and never give me even a hint of where you've put that key. The, uh, mind Malfoy said he could see all my thoughts and I don't want to take any chances. I think he was using my dream to control me or something." Shivering at the dark thoughts running through his head he didn't protest when Tric cuddled closer.

"Do you think it'll do that again?"

"I think it could." Glancing over at his friend, who was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, he gave her a reassuring hug. "Don't worry, you can just lock me in my bedroom while I sleep," he half-joked.

"That could kill you! The flat, or the building, could burn down with you in it," she protested, shocked out of concern and into an affronted anger.

"Well then you'll have to just rent a storage space somewhere to hide that bag. Having it here, so nearby, is clearly a bad idea." Smiling at her still ticked off look he ruffled her hair playfully, as one tends to do to cute children. "You're such an adorably overprotective little sister. Really, I could jump out the window onto the fire escape or make an escape rope with my sheets and clothes or something if I needed to."

"Still, I'm not willing to risk it, I'd be lost without my partner in crime." Pouting she tried to flatten her mussed hair, although it was pretty much a lost cause due to both bed head and her roommate's actions.

"Ah, we're a pair all right, a pair of runaways," smiling nostalgically Mark tugged on one of the more stubborn cowlicks sticking up in back that Tric couldn't tame. "You're the Cloak to my Dagger, always helping me hide. Actually you're probably the fighter like Dagger, and you are the girl, so I guess I'd be Cloak."

"How is it that you won't touch fantasy but you'll read American Sci-Fi superhero comics," she complained.

"Hey, I read British comics too. I just don't read anything with magic in it. No elves, fairies, unicorns, mermaids, or any of that stuff," patiently he explained his reading choices in what was clearly a conversation they'd repeatedly had before.

"Right, you don't read about stuff that actually exists." Rolling her eyes in the way that told him she was humoring him only because they were so close she gave up the battle with her hair and rolled over onto her back.

"I was just ignoring anything that might relate to, you know, but tomorrow if you really want to I'll let you recommend a good fantasy book you like and I promise to read it. Okay-?" He was cut off by Tric squeezing the air out of his lungs in an impressively tight hug.

"Oh yes, finally! Okay, okay, lemme think," she paused, glancing around the dark room as if a book might light up and give her inspiration. "Terry Pratchett, yeah, his stuff is all awesome. Discworld is wicked and it's nothing like er, my sister's world. You'll love it, he's known for his satire, I'll start you on the watch, or maybe the witches, series as soon as we get a few more hours of sleep. Maybe the Death ones, you'll love them."

"Sure Tric, whatever you want. Goodnight, again." He sighed and wiggled until she got the message. Loosening her grip Tric let him slip back off to sleep.

* * *

**AN:** Read my companion piece, 'Made Himself Muggle,' just for kicks please. So the chapter when Draco gets his magic back and is exposed to everyone as Draco Malfoy was written back before ch. 12 (possibly even 10 & 11 but I can't remember) but now may have to undergo changes. I'm finding that although I had mental struggles for Draco/Mark to go through I kinda want to add a bit more; let other people, mostly those searching for him, see the 'evil' portrait Malfoy, have the two of them in the real world at the same time. Also while I was writing the dream scene this creepy idea kept popping into my head:

—'…Rolling over to pin down his 'past' self Mark smiled hopefully at the newly duck tape-less Malfoy. "I forgive you for being who you were made, I'm sorry I tried to get rid of you, and I think I can forgive myself for everything too. What about you, ready to move on?"'

"Yeah." As soon as Malfoy responded Mark leaned down to kiss him. Relinquishing his blonde twin's hands Mark held the face identical to his own. The kiss grew heated and soon they separated to gasp for air. Looking up at the 'muggle' who instigated the kiss Malfoy smirked.

"You know this makes us the most narcissistic person ever, right?" The wizard quipped.

"Who cares? I'm hot," Mark replied before diving into another make out session.

And just like that the two made up. Malfoy quit being evil and instead spent all day thinking of all the fun they could have together in the dream world. Mark/Draco got over everything and never needed another boyfriend because he had someone who knew his every thought already. Since he was no longer evil Malfoy helped Draco get his magic back and hide himself better from the wizards. He lived happily ever after, with himself, the end.—

Yeah, I was like what the hell, too. But it just popped up when Mark pinned him and then again, when they were wrestling over the wand, it occurred to me that if they weren't the same person the situation could have been sexual… alone and pinned to a bed by a hot guy… wrestling said hot guy… yeah. I swear I'm not sick. I didn't let it happen for real! I just figured the thought could be shared, just because.

**smiling-is-my-favorite-pastime:** Yea, Tric's not annoying! Thank you for your review, here's your up-date.

**The Phantom Dragon:** Huh? Well, I don't know about _no_ pairings, after all I've already got two couples engaged in there. If you're against gay couples… I warned about that in the summary so if you've made it to the 12th chapter you should've realized they'd be in there. I don't know what else to tell you; you're the only person who's asked for there to be no pairings so you probably won't get your wish, sorry. But thank you for your review anyway. Hopefully your siblings had more fun than I did.

**Emeralden Rapley:** Uh…never saw the Buffy showdown (le-gasp!) but the Jean Grey/Pheonix showdown in the 3rd X-men movie I loved (when she was tearing apart the whole island and Wolverine was healing himself while being torn apart trying to get to her). Quite fortunately Draco will not be going insane and/or tearing people apart. But I may have to work with that 'epic finally' idea. It was going to be more of a Draco's all calm and 'I don't really care if I get my magic back, oh look I did, well whatever bye' while everyone else was flipping out but who knows. Maybe he needs a drama queen scene too. Thanks for the review, and the review on Made Himself Muggle too.

**P.S.** Please review in any way shape or form. This was/is my first fanfic ever and my first piece of writing this long so I need all the advice and critic I can get. Tell me what you guys think should happen and I may consider it.


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